Want Intel as chip partner but…: Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon why company will stick with TSMC

Qualcomm

CEO Cristiano Amon stated that Intel's current

chip production technology

isn't advanced enough for Qualcomm to consider it a supplier. In an interview on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg Tech" on Friday (September 5), Amon said that while Qualcomm would like to use

Intel

for manufacturing, it will stick with its current partners, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (

TSMC

) and Samsung Electronics Co.“Intel is not an option today. We would like Intel to be an option,” Amon said, explaining that if Intel is able to advance its manufacturing techniques to produce more efficient chips, then Qualcomm would consider becoming a customer.Qualcomm, which makes the processors at the heart of most Android smartphones, is now pushing its technology into new markets like the automotive industry. This move is aimed at securing growth that doesn't depend on the smartphone market.The company announced a new self-driving product that will be used in BMW's upcoming iX3 sports utility vehicle. Amon highlighted the advantages of the new

Snapdragon Ride Pilot

system, which offers powerful computing similar to a data center server but requires very little power.

Amon said the system can be scaled from basic driver assistance to a full-on autonomous mode without draining the car's battery."We design all of our chips assuming there's a battery on the other side, not plugged into the wall," Amon said. "You have all the computing power and you still get incredible range."

Intel says 14A manufacturing capacity after customer commitment

Qualcomm, like most chip designers, relies on outsourced production. Intel, once the world's largest chipmaker, is trying to turn its business around by attracting outside customers to its factories. Amon’s comments came soon after Intel CFO David Zinsner’s statement who said that the company’s new manufacturing technology won't be ready for evaluation until 2026. He added that the next year will be very important for the chipmaker, which recently had its 10% share acquired by the Trump administration.Zinsner reiterated a stance that Intel will only build

14A manufacturing

capacity if it gets commitments from external customers wanting to use its technology.