英飞凌脱离手机IC市场正当时

英特尔计划以14亿美元的现金收购英飞凌的无线解决方案业务，交易预计在2011年一季度完成。

这是英特尔继8月16日决定收购德州仪器有线调制解调器产品线、上周以76.8亿美元收购杀毒软件商McAfee之后的又一次收购。

关于英特尔-英飞凌交易，有一位分析师认为英飞凌非常及时的脱离了无线芯片业务。英飞凌的手机芯片组目前被用在苹果的iPhone和iPad上。据报道，苹果计划为这些产品提供CDMA版，采用高通的芯片组。

另一位分析师则表示苹果可能在着手准备自己的手机芯片组。

Forward Concepts公司主席、首席分析师Will Strauss说：“有一些猜想认为这笔交易能让英飞凌更好的专注于利润更丰厚的汽车和工业芯片业务。但我认为事情没有这么简单。我的理论是英飞凌注意到Verizon正在准备CDMA版的iPhone，传言将在明年1月上市。CDMA版的iPhone肯定会采用先进的高通3G无线模块，最终让高通进入这片领域，甚至会在未来的iPhone上替代英飞凌的无线模块。”

Will解释说：“英特尔的无线解决方案业务可能不会完全丢掉iPhone，但这块市场的CDMA部分(Viz、Verizon、Sprint、KDDI等等)不会采用英特尔的调制解调器。如果高通/Verizon的合作成功，iPad还会远么？现在高通的Gobi调制解调器已经可以自由切换CDMA和UMTS网络，而且高通本身也是一大UMTS调制解调器供应商，他们甚至可能攻入iPhone的主要市场。”

对于苹果来说，情况又有所不同，Will补充说：“苹果收购PA Semi、发布用于iPhone 4和iPad的A4处理器。这些都显示出苹果寻求最终‘拥有’自己的移动处理器。苹果会允许自己的桌面和移动芯片都受制于英特尔么？我觉得不会。乔布斯在规划未来的移动产品时会觉得高通非常有吸引力。”

点击进入参考原文：Analyst: Infineon exits cell IC market just in time

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Analyst: Infineon exits cell IC market just in time

Intel Corp. plans to purchase Infineon Technologies AG's Wireless Solutions Business (WLS) for $1.4 billion in cash with the deal expected to close in the first quarter of 2011.

This is yet another deal in a buying spree that has seen Intel agree to acquire Texas Instruments Inc.'s cable modem product line, on Aug 16 and willing to spend $7.68 billion on security software vendor McAfee Inc. last week.

In the Intel-Infineon deal, one analyst believes that Infineon exited the wireless chip business--just in time. Today, Infineon's cell-phone chipset is being used in Apple's iPhone and iPad. In those products, Apple is reportedly planning to offer a CDMA version, based on Qualcomm's chipset.

Apple may be even working on its own cell-phone chip sets, according to an analyst.

"I've read the scenarios that the divesture will allow the surviving Infineon Technologies AG to better concentrate on its more profitable automotive and industrial chip business, but I don't think that's the whole story," said Will Strauss, president and principal analyst at Forward Concepts Co.

"My theory is that Infineon is aware that Verizon will be fielding a CDMA version of the iPhone rumored to be introduced next January. A CDMA version of iPhone would certainly require an advanced Qualcomm 3G modem, essentially letting the Qualcomm camel 'get its nose under the tent', perhaps displacing some of the Infineon modems destined for future iPhones," he said.

"It's unlikely that Intel WLS will see its Apple iPhone socket disappear, but the CDMA segment of the market (viz, Verizon, Sprint, KDDI, etc.) would not be available to Intel's cellphone modems," he said. "If the Qualcomm/Verizon approach proves to be successful, can iPad be far behind, especially with Qualcomm's Gobi modem, allowing the user to select either CDMA or UMTS carriers. Since Qualcomm also is a major supplier of UMTS modems, they could even eat into the main Intel WLS iPhone market."

For Apple, there is a different scenario. "Apple's acquisition of PA Semi and its (perhaps unrelated) introduction of the (Samsung-fabricated) A4 processor employed in both iPhone 4 and iPad, indicates that Apple is looking to eventually 'own' its mobile processors. Will being a slave to Intel for both its desktop and mobile processors sit well with Apple. I don't think so. Qualcomm could look very attractive to Mr. Jobs for future mobile planning," he added.I've read the scenarios that the divesture will allow the surviving Infineon Technologies AG to better concentrate on its more profitable automotive and industrial chip business, but I don't think that's the whole story," said Will Strauss, president and principal analyst at Forward Concepts Co.