Intel blasts iPhone; Apple honeymoon over

Intel's Shane Wall, at left, explains why he thinks the iPhone suffers from its use of an ARM chip, while Intel's Pankaj Kedia listens.

(Credit: Suzanne Tindal/ZDNet.com.au)

Intel's romance with Apple appears to have gone sour.

Company executives have decided to start including the iPhone as one of their prime examples of smartphones that don't run "the full Internet" because they don't use an Intel chip, according to a report out of the Intel Developer Forum in Taipei from our friends down under at ZDNet Australia. This specious argument--that ARM-based chips aren't man enough to run the Internet--is nothing new from Intel, but the decision to highlight the iPhone as part of that argument is.

Intel has been trying to wedge its way into future mobile computers by taking on ARM, which designs cores that power more than 90 percent of all mobile phones in the world. Its argument is that since the PC-based Internet experience is run by Intel's x86 architecture, that's the only possible solution for future sophisticated mobile computers.

But as Engadget points out, say what you will about the iPhone, but few people complain about its inability to run "the full Internet." The most frequent criticism of the iPhone's Internet-running ability is probably that it can't play Flash content, but that has more to do with Apple CEO Steve Jobs' belief that Adobe's Flash Lite isn't good enough for the iPhone than any technical limitations on the part of the ARM processor. In fact, Adobe is believed to have a Flash player for the iPhone all ready to go if and when Apple decides to approve its inclusion on the iPhone.

When it first broached this argument last year, Intel refused to publicly identify specific smartphones it used to produce a PowerPoint slide for an IDF keynote damning ARM-based smartphones as error-prone when browsing the Internet, saying it didn't want to embarrass anyone. At the time, it probably thought that it could one day win Apple over to its side when the Moorestown chip arrived, and it was still smitten with its hot new paramour that made old lovers Dell and HP look impossibly lame.

But Apple decided not to wait for Intel, doubling down with its bet on the ARM architecture by snapping up chip design firm P.A. Semi and putting them to work on future CPUs based on the ARM architecture for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It then took the further step of dumping Intel's integrated graphics chipsets from the MacBook, highlighting (once again) just how far Intel has to go to make a competitive graphics chipset.

And so, suddenly the iPhone is a prime example of a smartphone that just doesn't have what it takes, according to Intel's Shane Wall. "Any sort of application that requires any horsepower at all and the iPhone struggles," he said.

The thing is, developers, customers, and carriers don't seem too bothered. As The Inquirer's Paul Hales observes, "ARM has chips in over a billion mobile internet devices and Intel's are in, ooh, half a dozen or so."

Hell hath no fury like a chipmaker scorned.

[gopnick]

This might be a reverse Apple-Microsoft moment, circa 1990.

Apple: Our product is better.
Microsoft: Nobody cares.

The same is probably true with ARM v. Intel. Even if Intel is better, the lack of concern amongst consumers and manufacturers renders ARM the de facto market champion.

[SteveW928]

I don't think Apple is saying anything like that. Intel didn't have the goods in time for the iPhone product line. Apple can't just easily switch once a code-base has been established. Same goes for GPUs... the Intel GPUs basically suck. If Intel wants to keep Apple's business, they need to rely on technology, not just the relationship. Intel is just pissed because Apple isn't blindly using their product line exclusively. This is NOTHING like how M$ operates... as you are asserting.

[Penguinisto]

Unless the PR flack can specify which TCP/IP protocols the iPhone is apparently incapable of carrying out which an Intel-based smartphone can, methinks that Intel is only going to make themselves look stupid among the tech folks.

[Tom Krazit]

This was the original argument, made by Intel's Anand Chandrasekher in September 2007, during an IDF keynote speech. (PDF)

http://download.intel.com/pressroom/kits/events/idffall_2007/KeynoteChandrasekher.pdf

Slide 8.

[SteveW928]

Interesting slide... and I agree in general that with my web-phone experiences (especially with Palm) that they don't compare well to desktop browsers. That said, the iPhone is the best I've used.
However, the slide is a bit misleading unless you have an 'Intel Architecture' chip suitable for such a mobile device. What does comparing IE or Firefox on a desktop have to do with mobile phone? It is also interesting to note they list 0 errors for IE and like 10 for Firefox. Does this mean we don't get a good internet experience using Firefox? If IE is the 'base line' of a good internet experience, then I don't want one. This makes me think the data is rather skewed... they probably visited sites that were more specific to IE code... which really never runs as well on anything but a Windows PeeCee under IE. That's not Internet, that M$ closed environment.

[Seaspray0]

Very seldom do we agree. I agree with you on this one.

[Vegaman_Dan]

I too agree with your comments.

The Touch unit that I have works for all I could ask of it. The limitations that are there are not in the hardware, but with Apple's restrictions. This has nothing to do with the chipset inside.

[Penguinisto]

So, Tom... all of the whining is about Flash then? (I know Intel very well - they have an almost superhuman ability to inflate statistical outliers and irrelevant facts into something very different indeed. I actively block Flash on most sites with my full-sized gear - why would I want to bog down my mobile data plan by using it on a mobile? forgoet which brand - I'm sure the Windows Mobile, Symbian, and Blackberry using folks have no use for having Flash doing the same to them either.

...okay, reading through the slides, one thing was readily apparent: Vista on a UMPC!? Cripes... I want what Chandrasekher was ingesting when he made that slide. No, really - has someone called the DEA yet, because LSD just got a new and much bigger brother from the looks of it.

Now all that said, I will admit that Moorestown is a nice chip and all, but aside from UMPC's? I don't buy it. Why? Well, take a small 'bodice-ripper' paperback novel of a couple hundred pages in thickness (or for those of you who are unmarried, a cheap sci-fi paperback) and hold that up to your ear.

[Tom Krazit]

I don't think it's about Flash, it's just tech-marketing-as-usual. Intel's products for smartphones (Moorestown) aren't ready yet, so they're taking one from the old FUD playbook regarding the competition until that chip arrives.

[tketcher]

Like the fact that MP3 is compressed sound and does not capture the full musical spectrum. Problem is as stated. Nobody Cares.

PS I do not own an IPOD or anything similar, I care !

[mpitogo]

iPods BTW can play full uncompress AIFF, the only problem then becomes a matter of space efficiency. The audio chip is integrated so even the most demanding audiophiles will have to look else where. I'm ok if I can carry, songs, videos and pictures with my phone. I leave the high quality stuff at home where I can listen to it better.

iPod classic specs:
Audio
Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz
Audio formats supported: AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, and 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV

[SteveW928]

It looks to me like a 'fox and sour grapes' type argument. Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, Intel simply didn't deliver on-time or at all (in case of GPUs). Apple typically picks the best of technology available to it within reason. It doesn't just follow blind loyalties with its partners that hinder the end product. Intel should be happy Apple is using its CPUs, and if it wants its other products to be used, it must step up to the plate... not just depend on the relationship. They may have done this now in the mobile area, but it doesn't sound like it was in time to make the iPhone line. Also, as the article points out.... saying the iPhone isn't a good internet phone is kind of silly, when it is the best I've seen for this as phones go.

[Penguinisto]

In Intel's defense - when it's important, they do know how to get something done.

OTOH, I'm thinking they may have bitten off a bit more than they can chew with this claim.

[citrusonic]

I love my iPhone, in bed I play Fieldrunners

[kgsbca]

mobile phones don't run the full internet because they have little tiny screens (and in some cases, no keyboard). Intel is blatantly lying, as they know damn well that the processor is irrelevant when accessing the internet - the only time you need an x86 is when you want to run Microsoft apps, and who needs that when you can access the internet?

[Galaxy5]

Somebody is going to get a VERY nasty e-mail from Paul Otellini.

Apple buys a metric s*it-ton of processors from Intel and offers the best Internet browsing experience of any smartphone. Intel has never been associated with this kind of name-calling before - especially against a partner's products. Not that I can remember. No venom against Dell or HP for using AMD products...but now some VP wants to blast Apple for using ARM processors in a phone that obviates their point?

[catch23]

I would suggest you look at the pie chart http://tinyurl.com/6lsmdg
94% of everyone else buys s*it-ton of processors from Intel. And that is just on the desktop. In the embedded space, everyone but Apple buys super s*it-ton of processors from Intel.

Apple is a high visibility/low volume (compared to everyone else) business for Intel. Intel was doing fine before them, and will be doing fine long after Apple's glamor has passed.

Still, I just don't see the argument they are making. The 'real internet' is more hobbled by the tiny screen then by the processor.

[ittesi259]

This is just Intel PMSing that their inferior integrated graphics will no longer be bought by Apple, nothing more....boohoo get over it Intel.

[inachu]

I agree 100%! Intel video is lame.

[Seaspray0]

It's not the chip that browses the internet, it's the application that does all the work. There is not one piece of machine code on web pages. Intel loses this arguement.

[Get_Bent]

What's next, Apple blasting Intel because their integrated graphics isn't "man enough" for gaming? Oh, wait, that isn't news....

[slickuser]

I don't think the honeymoon is over. Maybe the author wants it to over.

Intel is simply pointing out that ARM does not have enough processing power
to deliver rich content on iPhone. Can iPhone support web pages with flash?
No.

Steve Jobs himself said the flash lite itself slower on iPhone...

so, the author just wants to attract the readers with juicy titles for his articles.

[open-mind]

The lack of Flash video on iPhone has nothing to do with CPU power.

[MaggieRed]

All well stated comments, doing this makes Intel look childish. Some one should whisper in their ear, this not the way to enhance your business relationships. Apple is progressive and is always on the edge of the technology envelop with pure innovation, they set the bar. From the get go and even with the roll out of the new MacBook's it seems crystal clear Intel is falling behind and not able to deliver the cutting edge products Apple needs.

Better re-think this approach Intel.

[CrashPad63]

This makes Intel look just as childish as Apple. Made for each other arent they?

[inachu]

I am starting to not only dislike my iphone but also that I have only 5 registries per year and I format my pc more than 5 times per year and now my videos I have purchased are worthless to me.

I WANT A REFUND OF ALL MY ITUNES PURCHASES!

[Dalkorian]

You format your PC more than 5 times a year? Really? REALLY?? My gawd, I just had to do mine a couple of months ago for the first time in something like 5 years. No, not the Linux partition - the winblows ex-pee one. The game side of my machine (winblows) crashed checking a friends backups (he backed up in SP3, I was running SP2 at the time - don't try that, it'll appear to work fine then BSOD you, corrupting the whole boot sector and file system), the business side (Ubuntu, capitalized because it deserves to be) is always rock solid.

So what are you doing to your machine to mess it up beyond repair every other month?

[Penguinisto]

Wow - my Mac has only been reformatted once since 2004 - and that was to install Leopard on it (I guess I could've upgraded instead, but nah - I like clean installs).

As for iTunes, just rip them all to .wav format, then convert them to .mp3 (or .ogg, or whatever). Problem solved.

[Mr. Dee]

I guess they (Intel) said this before Apples quarterly results. Why Apple is not supporting Flash yet, they don't want it to end up being a platform on the iPhone. Apple is trying to build this already with the App Store and their own developer tool set. Flash is cross platform. If Apple lets in Adobe too early, then the App Store becomes point less as a channel for third party applications. Apple is just being really smart here. In fact, not having Flash on the iPhone is a good thing, that technology has just worn out its welcome as far as I'm concerned.

[d2globalinc]

Hmm - having a uniform platform to develop applications for that works across all devices and OS's is a bad thing? Who do you work for Microsoft? Your right about Apple holding off tho as long as they can.. Just like anything else in the world - they wont do it until forced to do so by the competition. (they could really care less about the customers as long as they keep buying phones :P ).

[this1!]

at the end of the day, intel isn't one to talk about the performance of other chipsets, although they do lead the market, they're chipsets are far from superior. AMD (although questionable in its business moves) has made a pretty decent choice in teaming up with ATI for their integrated graphic chipsets, intel on the other hand, continues to make their own crappy integrated graphics chips (as was mentioned in the article)

maybe im just rambling...

[GG_33]

I hate that Steve Jobs do this, "I will sell my brand new iPhone........... $$$$$$$$.............ooh i discovered that i can make it better..........see, my new brand iPhone 3G, buy it now while its hot!!!.........$$$$$$$$$"
I'm starting to dislike mi iPod touch fist generation, not only because the 2nd generation is better, but cheaper.

[joetesta70]

OK this time I;m defending Apple...the iPhone (except for flash) does the web well. Intel should shut its pie hole (boring company).

[megustansalchichas]

Ok, so yeah, it doesn't run the full internet. So what. It doesn't run Gears of War either, but who cares? It is what it is, and for that, whatever chip it uses is obviously working. People are loving it, and Apple is laughing all the way to the bank. Intel looks like the fox that claimed those grapes were sour, it didn't want to eat them anyway. Thanks Aesop!

[gggg sssss]

lets see - so Aple will dump Intel and go with--- PPC? Motorola? AMD? on teh desktop. Suddenly the Maxc is isolated again. Hopefully the end of Apple.