Former Apple exec Jean-Louis Gassée:
The Smartphone 2.0 era has destroyed many companies: Nokia, Blackberry, Palm… Will Intel be another victim, either as a result of the proposed Broadcom-Qualcomm combination, or as a consequence of a suicidal defense move?
Intel has become desperate to remain relevant as Qualcomm and Broadcom duke it out over their own futures.
Intel sees the Qualcomm+Broadcom combination as an existential threat, an urgent one. But rather than going to the Feds to try and scuttle the deal through a long and uncertain process, Intel is rumored to be “working with advisors” (in plainer English, the company’s Investment Bankers) on a countermove: acquire Broadcom.
What happens if Broadcom buys Qualcomm?
Intel loses its wireless modems deal with Apple. No mobile CPUs + no modems = nothing of substance. Broadcom would be in charge — they would hold all the cards.
Ouch.