Part 6/9:
Apple’s decision to exit from its long-standing partnership with Intel to develop its own silicon was a particularly damaging blow. Historical tensions and quality assurance issues marred their relationship, prompting Apple to seek alternatives that would offer improved products without the internal conflict.
As market demand shifted from CPUs to GPUs, Intel’s reliance on its old model became increasingly problematic. The semiconductor industry had entered a downturn, a trend that deeply troubled Intel’s revenue streams just as they were ramping up investments into Foundries.