Apple plans to buy the British company Imagination Technologies — the developer of the PowerVR graphics accelerators commonly used in processors for the iPhone and iPad. This is with reference to the informed source told the publication Ars Technica. According to him, the talks are in active stage.
PowerVR graphics cores are used in mobile processors to Apple since the Apple A4, introduced in 2010. The Apple A4 was the first processor under its own trademark of Apple, he debuted with the first iPad. In addition to the tablet, the chip was later installed in the iPhone 4, the iPod Touch fourth generation and Apple TV second generation.
In all subsequent mobile gadgets of Apple are the processors of its own design company. The current generation of Apple A9 and A9X. The A9 chip is mounted and the iPhone 6s, iphone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE. In turn, A9X is designed for iPad Pro.
Design mobile chips for Apple beginning with the acquisition of PA Semi in 2008 ($278 million) and Intrinsity in 2010 ($121 million). Buy Imagination Technologies will allow to achieve a higher degree of integration of graphics technology with other units of the processor to increase their efficiency and productivity, says Cnews.
Apple has experience in the use of intellectual assets. “The transition to independent design cores allowed for 18 months to stay ahead of industry leader Qualcomm in the development of 64-bit processor for smartphones,” say the experts.
In Imagination the edition and Apple refused to give comments concerning the information received. After the appearance of news about the negotiations, the stock price of chip maker jumped 15% to £ 212,3.
