May 15, 2008 10:50 AM PDT

Intel denies report of Atom-based iPhone in the pipeline

Posted by Tom Krazit

Intel has emphatically denied a report that Apple is planning to use its Atom processor in a future version of the iPhone.

Don't expect to see an Atom-based iPhone anytime soon.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

On Wednesday, our sister site ZDNet.de reported that the head of Intel's German operations told reporters that Apple was planning to use the Atom chip in a larger version of the iPhone, due out at some future date. ZDNet.de has since amended its article to say that Hannes Schwaderer was only referring to the possibility that Apple might use Atom in a future Mobile Internet Device, not the iPhone.

An Intel representative in the U.S. used words I'm not allowed to print in this space to describe the report, but let's just say that farm animal byproducts were prominently involved. Apple, of course, is notorious for demanding radio silence on future products from its suppliers, so it's not surprising that Intel would move so quickly to squelch the rumors.

But Atom in the iPhone just doesn't make sense, at least right now. The chip gives off way too much heat to be used in a device as small as the iPhone. Intel has a future generation of Atom in the works called Moorestown that might be able to reach the power consumption goals needed for mobile phones, but that won't arrive until 2009 or 2010.

Apple might have Atom in mind for some sort of minitablet device running OS X, as persistent rumors have suggested, but the iPhone won't be using Atom anytime soon.