The company has owned a significant number of Imagination shares dating back at least as far as 2008, the early days of the iPhone.
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The biggest implication of this acquisition is that it could result in Apple designing its own mobile GPUs.
Imagination Technologies was founded in 1985 as VideoLogic and originally focused on graphics, sound acceleration, home audio systems, video-capture and video-conferencing systems.
If Apple does buy Imagination Technologies, this would allow the company to move their GPU design in house, neither company has commented on the possible acquisition.
Imagination recently announced that it was restructuring its business, which involved a 20 percent reduction in worldwide staff and a refocus on PowerVR. An extended licensing agreement was signed between the two companies just 2 years ago.
Citing a source with knowledge of the discussions, ArsTechnica said Apple is interested in the company’s PowerVR line of graphics processing units (GPUs).
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Apple has made its own CPUs in-house since 2008 when it bought PA Semi and adapted the tech into the A6 SoC, which featured in the iPhone 5. Last month, Imagination announced that CEO Hossein Yassaie would be stepping down from his post, while this month it revealed that 350 jobs are to be axed from the company in a cost-cutting exercise. It remains to be seen how these partners are affected if Apple does indeed take over.
