In an interview on the Fox Business Network earlier this week, Intel CEO Paul Otellini claims that Apple CEO Steve Jobs is "very happy" with Intel's deal to acquire Infineon's wireless chip unit. Infineon has provided components, including baseband controllers for cellular connectivity, for every generation of the iPhone.
Steve was very happy. The industry was abuzz that this unit was on the market and there were a number of competing companies for it. I think they're very happy that Intel won the bid.
When asked whether gaining foothold in the iPhone was a "driving factor" in Intel's pursuit of the Infineon unit, Otellini noted that it wasn't the "overwhelming" factor and instead cited Infineon's strong revenue stream and the potential for bringing 3G, LTE, and GPS technology directly to their chipsets.
Otellini famously appeared on-stage during Jobs' Macworld San Francisco 2006 keynote wearing a "bunny suit" (used by chip manufacturing workers in cleanroom environments) to deliver a silicon wafer to Jobs, signifying Apple's transition to Intel processors for its Macs. Apple has not, however, embraced Intel's solutions for its growing line of iOS devices, although the two companies will now likely work together via Apple's existing relationship with the Infineon wireless chip unit.
