Apple announced its move from Intel chips to its own Apple SIlicon earlier at WWDC 2020. This move is expected to drive a major shift towards ARM-based chips for computers. ARM has historically been the mainstream choice for mobile systems and has a great licensing system. Its owner, SoftBank, is looking to sell the company now, and despite the possible advantages, it seems Apple does not want to make the purchase.
A new report by Bloomberg says that Apple is not going to make a move to have a stake in Arm Holdings, the company that owns the ARM architecture. The two firms apparently had discussions over a possible purchase but Apple decided against it. While at first glance it would make sense that Apple buy Arm, there are a lot of reasons for it not to.
The report notes that the purchase does not align with Apple’s business model, as it heavily relies on licensing, something Apple does not do. In addition, there would be heavy anti-compete regulations kicking in. This move will be seen as Apple’s way of gaining a monopoly over ARM-based chips, and very likely be blocked by regulatory authorities.
SoftBank is currently scouting buyers for Arm Holdings, and NVIDIA is another big name among the potential buyers. We can expect more clarity in the coming weeks.
Via Bloomberg
