Apple is hiring engineers for a new office in Southern California to develop wireless chips that could eventually replace components supplied by Broadcom and Skyworks Solutions.
The company is seeking a few dozen people to develop wireless chips in Irvine, where Broadcom, Skyworks, and other companies have offices. Recent job listings show that Apple wants employees with experience in modem chips and other wireless semiconductors.
It’s part of a broader strategy of expanding satellite offices, letting the tech giant target engineering hotbeds and attract employees who might not want to work at its home base in Silicon Valley. The approach also has helped Apple further its goal of making more of its own components.
Shares of wireless-chip makers slid Thursday after Bloomberg reported on the effort. Skyworks fell as much as 11 percent, marking its biggest intraday plunge since March 2020. Broadcom and Qualcomm declined more than 4 percent each.
Apple’s interest in hiring talent related to a particular technology is usually bad news for the existing providers. The company has…
