Google could design its own computer chips, just like Apple. What you need to know.

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Alphabet

According to a report, Google may be looking to use internally designed semiconductors for its laptops and tablets, making it the latest technology giant looking to develop its own chips.

Google plans to launch internally designed computer processing units on Chromebook laptops and tablets starting in 2023, Nikkei Asia reported on Wednesday, citing three anonymous sources.

If so, the company would follow the path of the rival

apple

(ticker: AAPL) when replacing tabs made by

Intel

on Mac Computers and Laptops

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According to the report, Google is also stepping up efforts to design its own chips for Pixel smartphones and other devices, after announcing that internal processors would first appear on the upcoming Pixel 6 phone.

Semiconductors are complex, sensitive devices that are difficult to build, with specialists such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSM) and Samsung dominating the industry.

SoftBank, which bought the company in 2016, reached an agreement to sell ARM to US chip giant Nvidia (NVDA) last September in a high-profile acquisition facing intense regulatory scrutiny. partly due to competition issues.

Shares in Alphabet (GOOGL), owned by Google, are up 0.2%, while shares in Intel (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), whose chips are currently used on Google devices , have fallen by 0.9% and 0.3% respectively.

Corrections and amplificationsGoogle may be planning to design its own semiconductors. An earlier version of this article said he planned to build them.

Write to Jack Denton at [email protected]