Amazon reportedly in talks to buy Texas Instruments’ mobile OMAP chip biz

Amazon is reported to be in talks with Texas Instruments to buy its OMAP chip business for smartphones and tablets. Texas Instruments had earlier announced its intention to wind down this business and instead focus on embedded platforms. Amazon also happens to be one of its biggest customers.

Amazon could be looking at taking more control over the chipset that runs its Kindle Fire tablet, which has been the most successful tablet based on Android. Its competitors in the hardware space, Apple and Samsung, already develop their own chipsets, which they heavily customize for enhanced optimization.
The acquisition, if it goes through, would signal Amazon’s seriousness in the hardware space. It has been rumored that Amazon is also working on its own smartphone and TI’s OMAP division could certainly come in handy.
Read