[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/12/apple-anobit.jpg](http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/13/apple-to-buy-flash-chip-maker-anobit-for-500-million/)
*Disclaimer: Delving into Apple's business requires a hefty pinch of salt, okay? Good.* Is Apple about to open that $84 billion [war chest](http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/18/apple-q4-earnings-fall-short-of-expectations-28-3-billion-in-r/) to make another one of its traditional flash-memory [supply-chain land-grabs](http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/14/apple-said-to-be-in-talks-with-samsung-to-buy-7-8-billion-worth/)? Rumors from *Reuters* suggest it's planning to snap up Israeli outfit Anobit for $400 or $500 million. The outfit specializes in signal processing for the memory chips, increasing volume and performance, which you'll already find bolted onto the Samsung and [Hynix](http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/24/hynix-set-to-close-its-oregon-plant-cutting-1-100-jobs/)flash drives inside the [iPhone 4S](http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/14/iphone-4s-review/). Whilst we're having a hard time believing Cupertino would buy a hardware maker (even [P.A. Semi](http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/23/apple-buys-chip-p-a-semi-chip-designer-intel-says-wha/) and [Intrinsity](http://www.engadget.com/2010/04/27/apple-purchases-intrinsity-just-498-more-arm-licensees-to-go/) were fabless designers), it seems a logical move from a company who probably see traditional HDDs as an evil to be eradicated from its simplistic designs. We've reached out for comment from the companies and we'll let you know if we get anything more substantial than the regular "no comment."
Apple to buy flash chip maker Anobit for $500 million? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/post_label_source.gif