One of the main names behind the development of Apple’s own chips has left the company. Jeff Wilcox, director in charge of the technology transition, has stepped down and will become an Intel associate, where he will lead the processor architecture development team.
Wilcox had been with Apple since 2013 and led the transition to the so-called Apple Silicon, the brand’s own processor line, which had its debut with the M1.
“I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished during my time [at Apple], with the transition to Apple Silicon with the M1, M1 Pro and M1 Max systems-on-chip,” the engineer says in last month’s LinkedIn post.
Wilcox will now be an associate of Intel, where he will lead the engineering project group. With this, he will become responsible for the “architecture of all systems-in-chip for all segments of Intel customers”.
It is not the engineer’s first stint with the company: he has worked from 2010 to 2013 in the area of PC chipsets.This week, Intel introduced the 12th generation of Core processors for notebooks and desktops. On laptops, the company promises to desban the Apple M1.
In addition, the chips have adopted a strategy long used by arm architecture. They combine power and performance cores for distinct tasks in an attempt to expend less energy.Wilcox’s departure is one of several in the last two years. Three former engineers even founded a chip company called Nuvia, which was eventually bought by Qualcomm.
One of them, Gerard Williams, is being sued for breach of contract and for taking advantage of Apple’s technology. He hits back and says the clause has no validity in California, and accuses the company of illegally monitoring its messages.There are also reports that Apple and Meta are fighting over talent. To hold on to its employees, Cupertino’s company would be offering bonuses of $50,000 to $180,000 in shares, with a four-year sale restriction.
Apple is nearing the end of its transition from Intel to its own chips, promised to last two years. Johny Srouji, senior vice president of hardware technologies, remains at the company.