Intel Corp (INTC)

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I worry that Samsung will be a major competitor to Intel in CPUs, especially if they aim for micro-servers. They've already hired a CPU design team, they have their own fabs, and they sell their own devices.

Easier said than done. It takes many years for a new CPU team to hone their skills to the point of delivering consistent excellence. Apple was fortunate that they found an excellent design team already intact. The only thing Samsung has shown is that they can put all of the best building blocks from ARM and other IP vendors together in an SOC - but then again, smaller Chinese companies have also proven they can do that.

Before Samsung can turn their investments into leadership products, they would need years of hardware and software expertise to hone their skills, and optimize their manufacturing. I think by then, Intel will have already turned the ship.

Maybe Samsung will be Intel's #1 competitor in the next decade, but I think for this decade they will be more of a friend than a competitor. Intel still needs them as a laptop and mobile device partner, as well as a vendor for display and memory.