Here’s some very interesting news in the world of mobile SoC manufacturing. Intel has just announced plans to build ARM-based designs through its 10nm FinFET process. What does that mean for the average consumer? Well, expect Intel to start making Cortex-powered SoCs soon, like Qualcomm’s ARM-powered Snapdragon chipsets and MediaTek Helio X20 series.
According to a report by Android Central on Tuesday, the deal will see Intel accessing ARM’s Artisan physical IP and POP IP to build 10nm Cortex cores. For now, though, Intel won’t be able to fabricate custom solutions from architecture licensees like Qualcomm, NVIDIA, and the others.
Intel’s first partner in the ARM-manufacturing gig is LG, who earlier failed to make a mark in the industry with its own Nuclun SoC. With Intel in the bag, LG seems to be going with a stock Cortex core implementation, much like Huawei with its Kirin SoCs.
What about Intel’s Atom chipset? Who knows! With Intel and LG teaming up to create ARM-powered SoCs, looks like there’s going to be a big shake-up in the industry soon.
Source: Intel, Android Central
