And here we go again - Apple is rumored to be buying Intel again

It's Not Quite Likely, But There Are Compelling Reasons Why Apple Could Buy Intel Now

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Apple left Intel behind four years ago, but a resurgent rumor says Apple is considering buying the longtime chipmaker. It's absolute nonsense, but if it ever happened, it would spell the end of Wintel.

Apple did buy Intel’s entire modem division back in 2019, but this rumor says it’ll just acquire the entire company. That same rumor says Samsung might be more likely, and there are even others, but Apple would be the most interesting. Not to mention the most fun.

At one time, Windows and Intel were that dominant partnership. They were so powerful that PCs were regularly called Wintel, and it was Wintel machines that made Macs struggle to even be a niche player.

Those days aren’t quite over, but Intel has suffered far more losses than wins over the past few years. Once the undisputed leader in processor design, the company is now better known for issuing press releases and denying chip failures.

These press releases always prove that Intel is about to introduce a processor that will revolutionize the world and bring the company back to its glory days. It could happen, but it hasn't happened yet, and it doesn't look like Tim Cook will regret Apple's move away from Intel anytime soon.

This is despite Intel still wanting Apple back, at least in some form.

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Now, according to the YouTube channel “Moore's Law Is Dead” and its host Tom S, Apple may be going back to Intel. They're not just coming to buy processors, they're coming to buy the company.

Tom S repeatedly emphasizes that this is a rumor that has no basis in fact. He emphasizes that the most he can say is that there are currently whispers from various companies around Intel.

That includes Samsung, which he argues could be a more likely buyer for Intel, and Qualcomm. But the idea of a Qualcomm/Intel partnership may actually be one of many reasons Apple might well consider a deal.

Together, Qualcomm and Intel could compete with Nvidia or AMD — and they could compete in all the same markets as Apple. Intel isn’t yet apparently weak enough for Qualcomm to easily buy it, but Apple could, and that would prevent its two rivals from merging.

Practical Benefits

There are also, presumably, practical benefits for Apple, including simply more capacity to make processors. Intel has the expertise, too, so it could be of real help in developing Apple Silicon.

Also, Intel and Apple are both American companies, so “Moore’s Law is Dead” argues that the US is likely to allow the merger. This is debatable, especially in the current climate, where the US Justice Department is seeking to break up big tech companies like Apple and Google.

It also ignores how other countries and their regulators might have anything to say about Apple buying Intel. Big tech companies are global businesses, which is why the UK was able to cancel Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision – until it was persuaded to reconsider with reasonable arguments.

Even if global attention was unlikely to shut down the merger, there would still be some practical benefits for Apple from proceeding. For example, the extra capacity that Intel’s foundries could provide is in the US, which could prove a boon if the next administration raises tariffs.

So Apple buying Intel will always be a nonsense. It's as ridiculous as the company's years-long insistence that it would buy Disney.

Still, if Apple did it, it would have at least a little chutzpah. There are people at Apple with long memories, and they might be pleased to see that the future of Windows PCs depends on this.