The mobile chipmaker has examined acquiring different pieces of Intel, which is struggling to generate cash and looking to shed business units and sell off other assets, the people said.
Other pieces of Intel such as the server segment would make less sense for Qualcomm to acquire, another source with knowledge of Qualcomm's operations said. Its PC client business revenue dropped 8% to $29.3 billion last year, amid overall weakness in the PC market. Intel's board is set to meet next week to weigh a proposal from Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and other executives on how to trim its operations in an attempt to save cash. Potential options include a sale of its programmable chip unit, Altera, Reuters reported.