Imagination Technologies Remains For Sale as No Progress Made in Dispute With Apple

British chipmaker Imagination Technologies today disclosed that its formal sale process continues, despite successful restructuring and a return to profitability in its fiscal year ended April 30, 2017. It also said it is reviewing options in its dispute with Apple, but added that no progress has been made.

IMGTech3 678x452
"The management team have done a tremendous job over the last year, turning the business around, returning it to profitability and with a clear strategy for growth," said chairman Peter Hill. "It's therefore highly regrettable that this progress has been so severely impacted by the stance taken by Apple."

Earlier this year, Apple informed Imagination that it plans to stop using the company's patented PowerVR graphics technology in devices like the iPhone in between 15 months and two years. Accordingly, Apple said it will stop making royalty payments to the British firm by late 2018 or early 2019.

Apple instead plans to use its own in-house graphics architecture, eliminating the need to pay royalties for the PowerVR technology.

Apple is Imagination's biggest customer, reportedly accounting for up to half of the company's revenue. The chipmaker's stock plunged as much as 70 percent after it revealed Apple's plans, as analysts predict the company could become loss-making within two years without royalties from iPhone sales.

Imagination insists that Apple is making "unsubstantiated assertions," as the iPhone maker has supposedly yet to present any evidence to prove that it will no longer require the British firm's technology, at least not without violating its patents, intellectual property, and confidential information.

"Apple's unsubstantiated assertions and the resultant dispute have forced us to change our course, despite the clear progress we have been making," said Andrew Heath, CEO of Imagination Technologies.

Imagination said, following interest in the entire company, it decided to initiate a formal sale process on June 22. The chipmaker today disclosed that preliminary discussions continue with potential bidders.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...
top stories 2025 04 26

Top Stories: iPhone 17 Air Rumors, Apple Watch Turns 10, and More

Saturday April 26, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
We've known for quite some time about Apple's plans for a thinner "iPhone 17 Air" coming later this year, but wow, the latest dummy models give us our best look yet at just how thin this phone is going to be. Other Apple news and rumors this week included another iOS 18.5 beta, the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch launch, and more management reshuffling in Apple's Siri division, so read...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...

Top Rated Comments

cmaier Avatar
102 months ago
Imagination insists that Apple is making "unsubstantiated assertions," as the iPhone maker has supposedly yet to present any evidence to prove that it will no longer require the British firm's technology, at least not without violating its patents, intellectual property, and confidential information.

That's not how it works. If Imagination thinks Apple is infringing its IP, then it has to prove it. Apple doesn't have to prove the reverse.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flat five Avatar
102 months ago
I think so, and if it does happen, with any luck Imagination will have them in British courts and Apple will find it a lot tougher to win.
I can't see how they won't steal their designs, or just use them for free, not like it's the first time Allles done this...
i really don't think this is about Apple trying to save money or not pay Imagination.
they currently license the tech for about $100million per year... in devices that brought Apple over $150billion in revenue.. like, Apple is getting a serious bargain from Imagination.. for Apple to do what's being hinted at (in house GPU design), they're going to be spending much more than they spend on Imagination in R&D costs alone.

Apple's goal, it seems to me, is to put themselves in position to continue offering users a different experience than what everyone else is doing.. and the more everyone is using the same technology, the more difficult it becomes for Apple to differentiate themselves from the pack..

it appears (to me at least), Apple is positioning itself for the next 10years (and beyond).. the last 10 years has been iOS.. the next 10 will/could likely be viewed as iOS 2.0.. the AR years.

their own GPU along with their own software (Metal) gives them a pretty serious advantage, or at least a very strong standing amongst other players, moving into the future (imo).
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
102 months ago
Apple killed them on purpose, the EU need to fine them.
Lol. So it's your theory that for some reason apple has some sort of obligation to buy imagination's technology forever?
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
citysnaps Avatar
102 months ago
An excellent decision on Apple's part.

Sometimes you just need to move on and go with your own tech.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
102 months ago
i really don't think this is about Apple trying to save money or not pay Imagination.
they currently license the tech for about $100million per year... in devices that brought Apple over $150billion in revenue.. like, Apple is getting a serious bargain from Imagination.. for Apple to do what's being hinted at (in house GPU design), they're going to be spending much more than they spend on Imagination in R&D costs alone.

Apple's goal, it seems to me, is to put themselves in position to continue offering users a different experience than what everyone else is doing.. and the more everyone is using the same technology, the more difficult it becomes for Apple to differentiate themselves from the pack..

it appears (to me at least), Apple is positioning itself for the next 10years (and beyond).. the last 10 years has been iOS.. the next 10 will/could likely be viewed as iOS 2.0.. the AR years.

their own GPU along with their own software (Metal) gives them a pretty serious advantage imo.
I agree. They've decided that, for their own purposes, there is a better architecture than imagination's, with the added benefit that they can control it and use it as a differentiator. They are probably going to come up with their own thing that scales from watch to desktop, and provides optimized performance per watt with their own software technologies.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
102 months ago
Oh I don't doubt that...
[doublepost=1499208685][/doublepost]

The pound dropped because of the vote so Aplle wacked its prices up, by 25%... of course the pound has recovered a fair bit but Apple hasn't dropped its prices..
And we are not xenophobic loonies, were Americans xenophobic loonies for wanting independence? Such an utterly ridiculous term used by left wing liberalist crazies or those that have no clue about it all.
The pound dropped from more than 1.6 dollars to less than 1.3, so 25% doesn't seem outrageous (especially since they can't change their prices daily)

And the U.K. had representation in the EU. The American colonies had none in England. Big difference.

So now you get to live with your vote. Have fun with that.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)