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2021-08-04

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Alphabet wants to make its own smartphone chips — what in the world is the company thinking?<blockquote>Alphabet想要制造自己的智能手机芯片——该公司到底在想什么？</blockquote>

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{"i18n":{"language":"zh_CN"},"detailType":1,"isChannel":false,"data":{"magic":2,"id":807728372,"tweetId":"807728372","gmtCreate":1628060022196,"gmtModify":1633753947571,"author":{"id":3586671305946156,"idStr":"3586671305946156","authorId":3586671305946156,"authorIdStr":"3586671305946156","name":"Deelees","avatar":"https://static.tigerbbs.com/7d623ac793924b6f6fe30ed566189580","vip":1,"userType":1,"introduction":"","boolIsFan":false,"boolIsHead":false,"crmLevel":11,"crmLevelSwitch":0,"individualDisplayBadges":[],"fanSize":1,"starInvestorFlag":false},"themes":[],"images":[],"coverImages":[],"extraTitle":"","html":"<html><head></head><body>😱</body></html>","htmlText":"<html><head></head><body>😱</body></html>","text":"😱","highlighted":1,"essential":1,"paper":1,"likeSize":0,"commentSize":0,"repostSize":0,"favoriteSize":0,"link":"https://laohu8.com/post/807728372","repostId":1135713978,"repostType":4,"repost":{"id":"1135713978","kind":"news","pubTimestamp":1628056812,"share":"https://www.laohu8.com/m/news/1135713978?lang=zh_CN&edition=full","pubTime":"2021-08-04 14:00","market":"us","language":"en","title":"Alphabet wants to make its own smartphone chips — what in the world is the company thinking?<blockquote>Alphabet想要制造自己的智能手机芯片——该公司到底在想什么？</blockquote>","url":"https://stock-news.laohu8.com/highlight/detail?id=1135713978","media":"MarketWatch","summary":"It’s a big, and risky, bet. Apple did something similar and had a difficult transition\n(Photo credit","content":"It’s a big, and risky, bet. Apple did something similar and had a difficult transition<blockquote>这是一个巨大而冒险的赌注。苹果也做了类似的事情，经历了艰难的转变</blockquote> <img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/729798ae4b174d85419678e03af11d00\" tg-width=\"1050\" tg-height=\"699\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\">(Photo credit should read Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images)<blockquote>（照片来源应为Alain Jocard/法新社，盖蒂图片社）</blockquote> Alphabet said Monday it will take its silicon building in-house when it launches a new flagship line of Google Pixel phones.<blockquote>Alphabet周一表示，在推出新的谷歌Pixel手机旗舰系列时，将在内部生产硅产品。</blockquote> The company’s move creates as many questions as it does answers. Perhaps the first being,with only about 2% of the U.S. smartphone market&nbsp;and no real sign of that changing, does a bet like this make sense?<blockquote>该公司的举动带来的问题和答案一样多。也许第一个是，美国智能手机市场只有2%左右，而且没有真正的迹象表明这种情况会发生变化，这样的赌注有意义吗？</blockquote> While much of the analysis of this news pointed to it as a positive step for AlphabetGOOG,+0.21%,I interpreted it as a desperate attempt for the company to make headlines about its poor-performing line of mobile devices and to do so by taking a risk that even AppleAAPL,+1.26%isn’t yet willing to take when it comes to its vertical integration into semiconductors.<blockquote>虽然这条新闻的大部分分析都指出这对AlphabetGOOG(+0.21%)来说是积极的一步，但我将其解读为该公司孤注一掷地试图让其表现不佳的移动设备系列成为头条新闻，并通过这样做来实现这一目标。即使是AppleAAPL(+1.26%)在垂直整合半导体方面也不愿意承担风险。</blockquote> Apple’s foreshadowing<blockquote>苹果的铺垫</blockquote> Apple made headlines over the past few years with its departure from Intel&nbsp;and the introduction of its M1 architecture. This transition from Intel to homegrown processors built on the increasingly popular Arm architecture was done methodically over several years to ensure that the change would go smoothly. For the most part, the M1 launched without significant incident, but its critics would be the first to point out that the transition was anything but flawless.<blockquote>过去几年，苹果因脱离英特尔并引入M1架构而成为头条新闻。从英特尔到基于日益流行的Arm架构的国产处理器的过渡是有条不紊地进行的，以确保变革顺利进行。在很大程度上，M1的发射没有发生重大事件，但它的批评者会第一个指出这种转变绝非完美无缺。</blockquote> It’s also worth pointing out that Apple, while it has incorporated a number of its cores to handle capabilities like image sensing and graphics, has left the modem and radio, oft-referred to as RFFE, to Qualcomm,due to the complexity of building a modem-RF system for 5G, which is incredibly complicated and proper function is imperative to get devices certified by different carriers like Verizon,AT&amp;T,T-Mobile&nbsp;and others.<blockquote>还值得指出的是，苹果虽然整合了许多核心来处理图像传感和图形等功能，但由于构建5G调制解调器RF系统的复杂性，它将调制解调器和无线电（通常称为RFFE）留给了高通，这非常复杂，并且必须让设备获得威瑞森、美国电话电报公司、T-Mobile等不同运营商的认证。</blockquote> For some reason that I simply cannot understand, Alphabet wants to abandon not only the Qualcomm Snapdragon, which most simply can be considered the full set of systems to power all the phones features, and ditch it for its own set of cores, but allegedly also abandon Qualcomm’s proven modem-RF system to use (rumored) Samsung’s Exynos, which has almost zero market penetration and has run into issues with power management and carrier certification. Even Samsung uses Qualcomm’s modem-RF system for large portions of its flagship devices, including its U.S. flagship devices. Apple does as well.<blockquote>由于一些我根本无法理解的原因，Alphabet不仅想放弃高通骁龙（最简单可以被视为全套系统来为所有手机功能供电），抛弃它为自己的一套核心，而且据称还抛弃高通成熟的调制解调器射频系统使用（传闻）三星的Exynos，该系统几乎没有市场渗透，在电源管理和运营商认证方面遇到了问题。甚至三星也在其大部分旗舰设备上使用高通的调制解调器射频系统，其中包括其美国旗舰设备。苹果也是。</blockquote> Returning us to the question: What in the world is Alphabet doing here, and does it make any sense?<blockquote>让我们回到这个问题：Alphabet到底在这里做什么，这有意义吗？</blockquote> Vertical integration<blockquote>纵向一体化</blockquote> The short answer is yes, and no, but mostly no. At least for Alphabet.<blockquote>简短的回答是肯定的，也是否定的，但大多数情况下是否定的。至少对Alphabet来说是这样。</blockquote> The argument to favor this change comes down to profitability and control for Alphabet. Apple has proven that deeper vertical integration can be lucrative, and its Bionic chips have continued to improve with each generation. Alphabet, which has built a very limited set of custom ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) for artificial intelligence (AI), wants the market to see it as every bit as capable of this type of move as Apple.<blockquote>支持这一变化的论点可以归结为Alphabet的盈利能力和控制权。苹果已经证明，更深层次的垂直整合可以带来利润，其仿生芯片每一代都在不断改进。Alphabet为人工智能(AI)构建了一套非常有限的定制ASIC（专用集成电路），希望市场看到它与苹果一样有能力采取此类举措。</blockquote> Furthermore, we have seen Amazon’s&nbsp;AWS and Alibaba&nbsp;build Arm-based solutions for their cloud offerings, and Microsoft&nbsp;has also been touted to be following suit. For the data center, this seems to make sense, with AWS, for instance, seeing success from its Graviton line of CPUs and Trainium series of ML chips. No one would be surprised to see Alphabet significantly increase its efforts to launch or further enhance custom silicon development for its cloud and AI offerings. But servers, and even notebooks, aren’t mobile devices.<blockquote>此外，我们已经看到Amazon的AWS和阿里巴巴-SW为其云产品构建基于Arm的解决方案，微软也被吹捧为效仿。对于数据中心来说，这似乎是有意义的，例如，AWS从其Graviton系列CPU和Trainium系列ML芯片中看到了成功。如果Alphabet大幅加大力度推出或进一步增强其云和人工智能产品的定制芯片开发，没有人会感到惊讶。但是服务器，甚至笔记本电脑，都不是移动设备。</blockquote> To launch the M1, Apple spent years on R&amp;D and made several key acquisitions, including Dialog Semiconductor in 2018 for $600 million to add to its internal chipmaking and systems capabilities. It even acquired the remnants of Intel’s mobile modem business upon deciding to move away from Intel on the horizon of 5G. But, with all of that IP, and investment in tow, and even a multi-year legal feud with Qualcomm, Apple still recognized there were some things better left to be done by Qualcomm.<blockquote>为了推出M1，苹果花了数年时间进行研发，并进行了多项关键收购，包括2018年斥资6亿美元收购Dialog Semiconductor，以增强其内部芯片制造和系统能力。在5G时代决定离开英特尔后，它甚至收购了英特尔移动调制解调器业务的残余。但是，尽管拥有所有这些知识产权、对tow的投资，甚至与高通多年的法律纠纷，苹果仍然认识到有些事情需要高通去做。</blockquote> Perhaps Alphabet figures with almost no market share and no notoriety around its Pixel smartphone lineup that it doesn’t matter if the Pixel 6 series is a disaster.<blockquote>也许Alphabet认为，其Pixel智能手机系列几乎没有市场份额，也没有恶名，Pixel 6系列是否是一场灾难并不重要。</blockquote> And perhaps Google will surprise the world by using its cores plus a lesser-quality modem-RF system to somehow put out a device that will outperform Apple, Samsung and dozens of other handset makers that have entrusted Qualcomm to provide the guts of their devices.<blockquote>也许谷歌会让世界大吃一惊，它会使用其核心加上质量较差的调制解调器射频系统，以某种方式推出一款设备，其性能将超过苹果、三星和其他数十家委托高通提供其设备核心的手机制造商。</blockquote> I doubt it, though, and if nearly a decade of insignificant market penetration with their mobile devices serves as an indicator of how well this move will go for Alphabet, I think it’s safe to chalk this up in the L column.<blockquote>不过，我对此表示怀疑，如果近十年来移动设备微不足道的市场渗透率可以作为Alphabet此举进展如何的指标，我认为可以安全地将其记在L栏中。</blockquote>","source":"lsy1603348471595","collect":0,"html":"<!DOCTYPE html>\n<html>\n<head>\n<meta http-equiv=\"Content-Type\" content=\"text/html; charset=utf-8\" />\n<meta name=\"viewport\" content=\"width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0,minimum-scale=1.0,maximum-scale=1.0,user-scalable=no\"/>\n<meta name=\"format-detection\" content=\"telephone=no,email=no,address=no\" />\n<title>Alphabet wants to make its own smartphone chips — what in the world is the company thinking?<blockquote>Alphabet想要制造自己的智能手机芯片——该公司到底在想什么？</blockquote></title>\n<style type=\"text/css\">\na,abbr,acronym,address,applet,article,aside,audio,b,big,blockquote,body,canvas,caption,center,cite,code,dd,del,details,dfn,div,dl,dt,\nem,embed,fieldset,figcaption,figure,footer,form,h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,header,hgroup,html,i,iframe,img,ins,kbd,label,legend,li,mark,menu,nav,\nobject,ol,output,p,pre,q,ruby,s,samp,section,small,span,strike,strong,sub,summary,sup,table,tbody,td,tfoot,th,thead,time,tr,tt,u,ul,var,video{ font:inherit;margin:0;padding:0;vertical-align:baseline;border:0 }\nbody{ font-size:16px; line-height:1.5; color:#999; background:transparent; }\n.wrapper{ overflow:hidden;word-break:break-all;padding:10px; }\nh1,h2{ font-weight:normal; line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:.6em; }\nh3,h4,h5,h6{ line-height:1.35; margin-bottom:1em; }\nh1{ font-size:24px; }\nh2{ font-size:20px; }\nh3{ font-size:18px; }\nh4{ font-size:16px; }\nh5{ font-size:14px; }\nh6{ font-size:12px; }\np,ul,ol,blockquote,dl,table{ margin:1.2em 0; }\nul,ol{ margin-left:2em; }\nul{ list-style:disc; }\nol{ list-style:decimal; }\nli,li p{ margin:10px 0;}\nimg{ max-width:100%;display:block;margin:0 auto 1em; }\nblockquote{ color:#B5B2B1; border-left:3px solid #aaa; padding:1em; }\nstrong,b{font-weight:bold;}\nem,i{font-style:italic;}\ntable{ width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:1px;margin:1em 0;font-size:.9em; }\nth,td{ padding:5px;text-align:left;border:1px solid #aaa; }\nth{ font-weight:bold;background:#5d5d5d; }\n.symbol-link{font-weight:bold;}\n/* header{ border-bottom:1px solid #494756; } */\n.title{ margin:0 0 8px;line-height:1.3;color:#ddd; }\n.meta {color:#5e5c6d;font-size:13px;margin:0 0 .5em; }\na{text-decoration:none; color:#2a4b87;}\n.meta .head { display: inline-block; overflow: hidden}\n.head .h-thumb { width: 30px; height: 30px; margin: 0; padding: 0; border-radius: 50%; float: left;}\n.head .h-content { margin: 0; padding: 0 0 0 9px; float: left;}\n.head .h-name {font-size: 13px; color: #eee; margin: 0;}\n.head .h-time {font-size: 12.5px; color: #7E829C; margin: 0;}\n.small {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.9); -webkit-transform: scale(0.9); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.smaller {font-size: 12.5px; display: inline-block; transform: scale(0.8); -webkit-transform: scale(0.8); transform-origin: left; -webkit-transform-origin: left;}\n.bt-text {font-size: 12px;margin: 1.5em 0 0 0}\n.bt-text p {margin: 0}\n</style>\n</head>\n<body>\n<div class=\"wrapper\">\n<header>\n<h2 class=\"title\">\nAlphabet wants to make its own smartphone chips — what in the world is the company thinking?<blockquote>Alphabet想要制造自己的智能手机芯片——该公司到底在想什么？</blockquote>\n</h2>\n<h4 class=\"meta\">\n\nMarketWatch2021-08-04 14:00\n\n</h4>\n</header>\n<article>\nIt’s a big, and risky, bet. Apple did something similar and had a difficult transition<blockquote>这是一个巨大而冒险的赌注。苹果也做了类似的事情，经历了艰难的转变</blockquote> <img src=\"https://static.tigerbbs.com/729798ae4b174d85419678e03af11d00\" tg-width=\"1050\" tg-height=\"699\" width=\"100%\" height=\"auto\">(Photo credit should read Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images)<blockquote>（照片来源应为Alain Jocard/法新社，盖蒂图片社）</blockquote> Alphabet said Monday it will take its silicon building in-house when it launches a new flagship line of Google Pixel phones.<blockquote>Alphabet周一表示，在推出新的谷歌Pixel手机旗舰系列时，将在内部生产硅产品。</blockquote> The company’s move creates as many questions as it does answers. Perhaps the first being,with only about 2% of the U.S. smartphone market&nbsp;and no real sign of that changing, does a bet like this make sense?<blockquote>该公司的举动带来的问题和答案一样多。也许第一个是，美国智能手机市场只有2%左右，而且没有真正的迹象表明这种情况会发生变化，这样的赌注有意义吗？</blockquote> While much of the analysis of this news pointed to it as a positive step for AlphabetGOOG,+0.21%,I interpreted it as a desperate attempt for the company to make headlines about its poor-performing line of mobile devices and to do so by taking a risk that even AppleAAPL,+1.26%isn’t yet willing to take when it comes to its vertical integration into semiconductors.<blockquote>虽然这条新闻的大部分分析都指出这对AlphabetGOOG(+0.21%)来说是积极的一步，但我将其解读为该公司孤注一掷地试图让其表现不佳的移动设备系列成为头条新闻，并通过这样做来实现这一目标。即使是AppleAAPL(+1.26%)在垂直整合半导体方面也不愿意承担风险。</blockquote> Apple’s foreshadowing<blockquote>苹果的铺垫</blockquote> Apple made headlines over the past few years with its departure from Intel&nbsp;and the introduction of its M1 architecture. This transition from Intel to homegrown processors built on the increasingly popular Arm architecture was done methodically over several years to ensure that the change would go smoothly. For the most part, the M1 launched without significant incident, but its critics would be the first to point out that the transition was anything but flawless.<blockquote>过去几年，苹果因脱离英特尔并引入M1架构而成为头条新闻。从英特尔到基于日益流行的Arm架构的国产处理器的过渡是有条不紊地进行的，以确保变革顺利进行。在很大程度上，M1的发射没有发生重大事件，但它的批评者会第一个指出这种转变绝非完美无缺。</blockquote> It’s also worth pointing out that Apple, while it has incorporated a number of its cores to handle capabilities like image sensing and graphics, has left the modem and radio, oft-referred to as RFFE, to Qualcomm,due to the complexity of building a modem-RF system for 5G, which is incredibly complicated and proper function is imperative to get devices certified by different carriers like Verizon,AT&amp;T,T-Mobile&nbsp;and others.<blockquote>还值得指出的是，苹果虽然整合了许多核心来处理图像传感和图形等功能，但由于构建5G调制解调器RF系统的复杂性，它将调制解调器和无线电（通常称为RFFE）留给了高通，这非常复杂，并且必须让设备获得威瑞森、美国电话电报公司、T-Mobile等不同运营商的认证。</blockquote> For some reason that I simply cannot understand, Alphabet wants to abandon not only the Qualcomm Snapdragon, which most simply can be considered the full set of systems to power all the phones features, and ditch it for its own set of cores, but allegedly also abandon Qualcomm’s proven modem-RF system to use (rumored) Samsung’s Exynos, which has almost zero market penetration and has run into issues with power management and carrier certification. Even Samsung uses Qualcomm’s modem-RF system for large portions of its flagship devices, including its U.S. flagship devices. Apple does as well.<blockquote>由于一些我根本无法理解的原因，Alphabet不仅想放弃高通骁龙（最简单可以被视为全套系统来为所有手机功能供电），抛弃它为自己的一套核心，而且据称还抛弃高通成熟的调制解调器射频系统使用（传闻）三星的Exynos，该系统几乎没有市场渗透，在电源管理和运营商认证方面遇到了问题。甚至三星也在其大部分旗舰设备上使用高通的调制解调器射频系统，其中包括其美国旗舰设备。苹果也是。</blockquote> Returning us to the question: What in the world is Alphabet doing here, and does it make any sense?<blockquote>让我们回到这个问题：Alphabet到底在这里做什么，这有意义吗？</blockquote> Vertical integration<blockquote>纵向一体化</blockquote> The short answer is yes, and no, but mostly no. At least for Alphabet.<blockquote>简短的回答是肯定的，也是否定的，但大多数情况下是否定的。至少对Alphabet来说是这样。</blockquote> The argument to favor this change comes down to profitability and control for Alphabet. Apple has proven that deeper vertical integration can be lucrative, and its Bionic chips have continued to improve with each generation. Alphabet, which has built a very limited set of custom ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) for artificial intelligence (AI), wants the market to see it as every bit as capable of this type of move as Apple.<blockquote>支持这一变化的论点可以归结为Alphabet的盈利能力和控制权。苹果已经证明，更深层次的垂直整合可以带来利润，其仿生芯片每一代都在不断改进。Alphabet为人工智能(AI)构建了一套非常有限的定制ASIC（专用集成电路），希望市场看到它与苹果一样有能力采取此类举措。</blockquote> Furthermore, we have seen Amazon’s&nbsp;AWS and Alibaba&nbsp;build Arm-based solutions for their cloud offerings, and Microsoft&nbsp;has also been touted to be following suit. For the data center, this seems to make sense, with AWS, for instance, seeing success from its Graviton line of CPUs and Trainium series of ML chips. No one would be surprised to see Alphabet significantly increase its efforts to launch or further enhance custom silicon development for its cloud and AI offerings. But servers, and even notebooks, aren’t mobile devices.<blockquote>此外，我们已经看到Amazon的AWS和阿里巴巴-SW为其云产品构建基于Arm的解决方案，微软也被吹捧为效仿。对于数据中心来说，这似乎是有意义的，例如，AWS从其Graviton系列CPU和Trainium系列ML芯片中看到了成功。如果Alphabet大幅加大力度推出或进一步增强其云和人工智能产品的定制芯片开发，没有人会感到惊讶。但是服务器，甚至笔记本电脑，都不是移动设备。</blockquote> To launch the M1, Apple spent years on R&amp;D and made several key acquisitions, including Dialog Semiconductor in 2018 for $600 million to add to its internal chipmaking and systems capabilities. It even acquired the remnants of Intel’s mobile modem business upon deciding to move away from Intel on the horizon of 5G. But, with all of that IP, and investment in tow, and even a multi-year legal feud with Qualcomm, Apple still recognized there were some things better left to be done by Qualcomm.<blockquote>为了推出M1，苹果花了数年时间进行研发，并进行了多项关键收购，包括2018年斥资6亿美元收购Dialog Semiconductor，以增强其内部芯片制造和系统能力。在5G时代决定离开英特尔后，它甚至收购了英特尔移动调制解调器业务的残余。但是，尽管拥有所有这些知识产权、对tow的投资，甚至与高通多年的法律纠纷，苹果仍然认识到有些事情需要高通去做。</blockquote> Perhaps Alphabet figures with almost no market share and no notoriety around its Pixel smartphone lineup that it doesn’t matter if the Pixel 6 series is a disaster.<blockquote>也许Alphabet认为，其Pixel智能手机系列几乎没有市场份额，也没有恶名，Pixel 6系列是否是一场灾难并不重要。</blockquote> And perhaps Google will surprise the world by using its cores plus a lesser-quality modem-RF system to somehow put out a device that will outperform Apple, Samsung and dozens of other handset makers that have entrusted Qualcomm to provide the guts of their devices.<blockquote>也许谷歌会让世界大吃一惊，它会使用其核心加上质量较差的调制解调器射频系统，以某种方式推出一款设备，其性能将超过苹果、三星和其他数十家委托高通提供其设备核心的手机制造商。</blockquote> I doubt it, though, and if nearly a decade of insignificant market penetration with their mobile devices serves as an indicator of how well this move will go for Alphabet, I think it’s safe to chalk this up in the L column.<blockquote>不过，我对此表示怀疑，如果近十年来移动设备微不足道的市场渗透率可以作为Alphabet此举进展如何的指标，我认为可以安全地将其记在L栏中。</blockquote>\n<div class=\"bt-text\">\n\n\n 来源：<a href=\"https://www.marketwatch.com/story/alphabet-wants-to-make-its-own-smartphone-chips-what-in-the-world-is-the-company-thinking-11628003771?mod=home-page\">MarketWatch</a>\n为提升您的阅读体验，我们对本页面进行了排版优化\n\n\n</div>\n</article>\n</div>\n</body>\n</html>\n","type":0,"thumbnail":"","relate_stocks":{"GOOGL":"谷歌A","GOOG":"谷歌"},"source_url":"https://www.marketwatch.com/story/alphabet-wants-to-make-its-own-smartphone-chips-what-in-the-world-is-the-company-thinking-11628003771?mod=home-page","is_english":true,"share_image_url":"https://static.laohu8.com/e9f99090a1c2ed51c021029395664489","article_id":"1135713978","content_text":"It’s a big, and risky, bet. Apple did something similar and had a difficult transition\n(Photo credit should read Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images)\nAlphabet said Monday it will take its silicon building in-house when it launches a new flagship line of Google Pixel phones.\nThe company’s move creates as many questions as it does answers. Perhaps the first being,with only about 2% of the U.S. smartphone market and no real sign of that changing, does a bet like this make sense?\nWhile much of the analysis of this news pointed to it as a positive step for AlphabetGOOG,+0.21%,I interpreted it as a desperate attempt for the company to make headlines about its poor-performing line of mobile devices and to do so by taking a risk that even AppleAAPL,+1.26%isn’t yet willing to take when it comes to its vertical integration into semiconductors.\nApple’s foreshadowing\nApple made headlines over the past few years with its departure from Intel and the introduction of its M1 architecture. This transition from Intel to homegrown processors built on the increasingly popular Arm architecture was done methodically over several years to ensure that the change would go smoothly. For the most part, the M1 launched without significant incident, but its critics would be the first to point out that the transition was anything but flawless.\nIt’s also worth pointing out that Apple, while it has incorporated a number of its cores to handle capabilities like image sensing and graphics, has left the modem and radio, oft-referred to as RFFE, to Qualcomm,due to the complexity of building a modem-RF system for 5G, which is incredibly complicated and proper function is imperative to get devices certified by different carriers like Verizon,AT&T,T-Mobile and others.\nFor some reason that I simply cannot understand, Alphabet wants to abandon not only the Qualcomm Snapdragon, which most simply can be considered the full set of systems to power all the phones features, and ditch it for its own set of cores, but allegedly also abandon Qualcomm’s proven modem-RF system to use (rumored) Samsung’s Exynos, which has almost zero market penetration and has run into issues with power management and carrier certification. Even Samsung uses Qualcomm’s modem-RF system for large portions of its flagship devices, including its U.S. flagship devices. Apple does as well.\nReturning us to the question: What in the world is Alphabet doing here, and does it make any sense?\nVertical integration\nThe short answer is yes, and no, but mostly no. At least for Alphabet.\nThe argument to favor this change comes down to profitability and control for Alphabet. Apple has proven that deeper vertical integration can be lucrative, and its Bionic chips have continued to improve with each generation. Alphabet, which has built a very limited set of custom ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) for artificial intelligence (AI), wants the market to see it as every bit as capable of this type of move as Apple.\nFurthermore, we have seen Amazon’s AWS and Alibaba build Arm-based solutions for their cloud offerings, and Microsoft has also been touted to be following suit. For the data center, this seems to make sense, with AWS, for instance, seeing success from its Graviton line of CPUs and Trainium series of ML chips. No one would be surprised to see Alphabet significantly increase its efforts to launch or further enhance custom silicon development for its cloud and AI offerings. But servers, and even notebooks, aren’t mobile devices.\nTo launch the M1, Apple spent years on R&D and made several key acquisitions, including Dialog Semiconductor in 2018 for $600 million to add to its internal chipmaking and systems capabilities. It even acquired the remnants of Intel’s mobile modem business upon deciding to move away from Intel on the horizon of 5G. But, with all of that IP, and investment in tow, and even a multi-year legal feud with Qualcomm, Apple still recognized there were some things better left to be done by Qualcomm.\nPerhaps Alphabet figures with almost no market share and no notoriety around its Pixel smartphone lineup that it doesn’t matter if the Pixel 6 series is a disaster.\nAnd perhaps Google will surprise the world by using its cores plus a lesser-quality modem-RF system to somehow put out a device that will outperform Apple, Samsung and dozens of other handset makers that have entrusted Qualcomm to provide the guts of their devices.\nI doubt it, though, and if nearly a decade of insignificant market penetration with their mobile devices serves as an indicator of how well this move will go for Alphabet, I think it’s safe to chalk this up in the L column.","news_type":1,"symbols_score_info":{"GOOG":0.9,"GOOGL":0.9}},"isVote":1,"tweetType":1,"viewCount":2614,"commentLimit":10,"likeStatus":false,"favoriteStatus":false,"reportStatus":false,"symbols":[],"verified":2,"subType":0,"readableState":1,"langContent":"EN","currentLanguage":"EN","warmUpFlag":false,"orderFlag":false,"shareable":true,"causeOfNotShareable":"","featuresForAnalytics":[],"commentAndTweetFlag":false,"andRepostAutoSelectedFlag":false,"upFlag":false,"length":2,"xxTargetLangEnum":"ORIG"},"commentList":[],"isCommentEnd":true,"isTiger":false,"isWeiXinMini":false,"url":"/m/post/807728372"}