Google hires away Apple's Manu Gulati to work on chips for new Pixel models
Google has reportedly recruited Manu Gulati -- formerly a key Apple chip designer -- to become its lead system-on-chip architect, working on components for future Pixel smartphones.
Gulati left Apple a few weeks ago, despite only changing his LinkedIn profile today, Variety sources said. The designer first joined Apple in Aug. 2009, and is said to have been heavily involved in custom chips for the iPhone, and iPad, and Apple TV. He's also credited in 15 different Apple patents, including one on the Secure Enclave concept used in devices with Touch ID.
Google is apparently accelerating its hiring efforts in chip design, Variety indicated, including seeking "mobile SoC" architects" for unspecified phones and tablets.
The Pixel is designed by Google, but still relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor like many other Android devices. Shifting to a custom chip should allow the company to better optimize its hardware for speed and battery life.
Apple's A-series mobile processors are in fact built on the same philosophy, and often credited as a competitive advantage. If successful, a Google processor might reduce any performance gap with Apple, narrowing competition to software, design, and miscellaneous other features.
Apple has already expanded into other arenas of chip design, for instance through the W1 wireless chip used in AirPods and Beats products like the Powerbeats3. Another chip handles the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, and the company is allegedly working on an ARM-based processor to handle low-power Mac functions.
Gulati left Apple a few weeks ago, despite only changing his LinkedIn profile today, Variety sources said. The designer first joined Apple in Aug. 2009, and is said to have been heavily involved in custom chips for the iPhone, and iPad, and Apple TV. He's also credited in 15 different Apple patents, including one on the Secure Enclave concept used in devices with Touch ID.
Google is apparently accelerating its hiring efforts in chip design, Variety indicated, including seeking "mobile SoC" architects" for unspecified phones and tablets.
The Pixel is designed by Google, but still relies on a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor like many other Android devices. Shifting to a custom chip should allow the company to better optimize its hardware for speed and battery life.
Apple's A-series mobile processors are in fact built on the same philosophy, and often credited as a competitive advantage. If successful, a Google processor might reduce any performance gap with Apple, narrowing competition to software, design, and miscellaneous other features.
Apple has already expanded into other arenas of chip design, for instance through the W1 wireless chip used in AirPods and Beats products like the Powerbeats3. Another chip handles the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, and the company is allegedly working on an ARM-based processor to handle low-power Mac functions.
Comments
Putting a jet engine on a bus might make it fast but it's not better than a race car.
Competition is a win for all.
All Google has to do is keep pushing more ambitious projects. Let everyone know they're making strides to being just like Apple and their share price will jump in accordance. Once Google can boast that it's Pixel's SoC is as powerful as Apple's A-series processors, Google will be claimed to have stolen Apple's hardware crown and Apple will be devalued even further than it already is. It's all about creating favorable perceptions and Google is the master at that. Apple is creating very poor perceptions of its company and that's destroying its value.
Good luck with that. Apple has a 10 year lead on custom Silicon, and a 100 year lead on design philosophy.
In theory, sure. But if this Manu fellow was a critical part of the design team, losing him won't "help Apple." Presumably/hopefully Apple has a deep bench of superstars, so this isn't a big deal.
Google has sold next to no Pixels. So whatever they're doing, it's going to be a long and expensive road before anything comes out of this.
Case in point - the new iPad Pros. A smoking fast new A10X when they already had the fastest tablets you could buy. They keep pushing every year even though they were already ahead of the competition.
Even if they create a chip, that doesn't mean all the other Android iPhone knockoffs will use that chip in their crap phones. So Android will always be playing catch-up.