Intel Hopes To Provide their ‘Medfield’ Processors For iOS Devices

Intel has approached Apple with hopes of sneaking their new Medfield processing chip into future iOS device releases. We’ve previously reported the likelihood of a quad core chip in upcoming iOS devices which makes this possibility curious. The Medfield chip is actually a single core processor.

“We don’t frankly see the need for dual core. Our single core with hyperthreading allows simultaneous applications – so we get much greater power efficiency. We believe we are at par if not better than our competitors.”

This from Dave Whalen, Intel’s Architecture group VP in a report from The Telegraph. In this case, Intel’s competitor is Apple itself as iPhones and iPads use chips made in-house, based on the ARM architecture. Apple does utilize Intel processors in their Mac lineup though.

What kind of shot do you think Intel has of making this happen?

Matt Watterworth is a social media and Apple product consultant. He enjoys making movies. Follow him on twitter: @MattWatterworth.

  • Ari

    Not going to happen. Existing apps would break without a recompile. I don’t’ think Apple would want to introduce even more fragmentation.

    Besides, the chipset Intel recently demonstrated using a PowerVR gfx chipset from 2007 and Apple’s current G5 is not only dual core but the PowerVR is also dual core and several generations ahead of the Intel demo model.

  • Fraser

    Would be cool to see Intel be introduced into iOS devices but without something new like quad core it’s a big reach.

  • Anonymous

    I don’t think it’s gonna happen. Apple already has its own good quality processor, why bother to use Intel’s?

  • http://twitter.com/WeebSurfer John Horton

    Why a recompile? They’re already coded to work with single core. Curious what the speed is? But also what gen of IOS devices? Little late for what’s in the works now.

  • Cshudson

    Same reason apps needed to be recompiled to work with Intel macs from motorola/PPC . Has nothing to do with quantity of cores. Has everything to do with OS and microcode .

  • DoctorT

    Apps right now are code-ed to work with ARM architecture whereas Medfield would be x86 based, thus incompatible without some extra work.

  • DoctorT

    Naw, Apple makes it’s own “A” series of processors and they’re proud of them. I doubt they’d go to Intel. Also the Medfield GPU is much weaker than the A5 and probably pathetic compared to the A6 (Apple would probably also get priority purchasing to the latest GPU’s from PowerVR as they own a good chunk of their stock)

  • Kraken

    “At par” is not good enough.  They need to blow-away the competition if they want to get Apple’s attention.

  • Anonymous

    Apple bought the company that was making the A-chips to make them internal and reduce costs. Why, 2 years after that, would they completely abandon that, go external again and increase their costs/drop their profit margin?! Not to mention, AFAICT, Intel’s still rocking the single core w/ HT, while Apple’s purportedly developing a quad core?! Sorry Intel, but GTFO.

    IMHO, no chance in HELL this will happen unless Intel develops a quad core that costs Apple as little as their current A5 does at their internal rate… Which… yea, just no.

  • Definingsound

    Seems like a PR move by Intel, publicly go for the biggest client on earth, and then actually sell to as many small clients as possible. Chipzilla tends to understand the math behind sales, they just need to get Medfield into people’s decision matrices. Right now it’s under the radar, and unknown products won’t sell.

  • Pingback: ARM CEO Dismisses Intel’s Smartphone and Tablet Foray | iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource