ARM reportedly building an in-house chip – Times of India

ARM is said to be developing its own chip, aiming to showcase its products’ capabilities and attract new customers before its anticipated initial public offering (IPO) later this year.
The Financial Times has reported that ARM is not planning to manufacture an existing chip design but rather is working on developing a more advanced processor that has not been seen before. Multiple industry executives have allegedly shared this information.
According to the Financial Times, this effort is reportedly being led by ARM’s newly formed “solutions engineering” team, led by Kevork Kechichian, a former Qualcomm executive and Snapdragon designer. So, it is possible that it will not be just a one-off project.
While ARM has not officially commented on these reports, it is expected that the purpose of this chip would be to serve as a showcase for the capabilities of ARM products. There are no plans to licence or sell it as a standalone product, which is highly likely considering ARM’s established business model that revolves around licensing its architecture to various companies. Hundreds of companies, including Apple, MediaTek, and Qualcomm, use ARM-designed components in their semiconductors.
Further, the report suggests that ARM’s solutions engineering team is actively engaged in enhancing the performance and security aspects of their designs.
Earlier this month, ARM and Intel entered into a “multi-generation” agreement. The aim is to optimise ARM chip designs using Intel’s 18A fabrication process. The collaboration will initially focus on ARM-based mobile chips, with plans to extend the partnership to other applications like automotive, IoT, and data centres.
It’s important to note that the agreement does not entail Intel’s Foundry Services unit manufacturing chipsets for ARM. Rather, the goal is to streamline the process for ARM’s licensees, including Qualcomm and MediaTek, to use Intel’s chip manufacturing services in the future potentially.