Friday, April 25, 2008, 02:40 pm

Steve Jobs on P.A. Semi, love for Intel; 3G BlackBerry delayed

By AppleInsider Staff

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs in a new interview dispels rumors that the company's recent acquisition of chipmaker P.A. Semi was a result of some kind of discord with Intel. Meanwhile, RIM will reportedly delay the release of its 3G BlackBerry handset in a move that could play to Apple's advantage.

Jobs loves Intel

In speaking to the Wall Street Journal following Apple's second-quarter earnings report Wednesday, Jobs reaffirmed that his company's relationship with its Mac microprocessor supplier Intel Corp. was as strong as ever, adding that he hopes it remains that way indefinitely.

"We have a great partnership with Intel,” he said. “We expect that to continue forever."

Though some have speculated that Apple's recent acquisition of P.A. Semi would in some way detract orders for future Intel chips, Jobs explained that the purchase was mainly driven by a liking for the firm's intelligence, rather than its existing products.

Corroborating a recent report by the EETimes, Jobs said Apple has long been involved in custom designing chips for iPhones and iPods and suggested that the company would rely on P.A. Semi’s expertise primarily for the forward development of those handheld products which were never based on Intel designs.

Although P.A. Semi is known for chips based on IBM's Power technology, from which Macs recently defected, there's absolutely no plans to ressurect a PowerPC-based Mac offering.

"I wouldn’t lose too much sleep over that,” he said. “We’re very happy with Intel."

3G BlackBerry delayed

Meanwhile, it appears Apple will have at least a month or two head start on rival smartphone maker Research In Motion should it debut is 3G iPhone in the expected June timeframe.

Reuters reports on a story originally published over at Fortune which notes that the high-speed wireless version of the company's BlackBerry smartphone for AT&T is facing delays. The report cites unnamed sources in saying that the US wireless carrier is concerned with the quality of calls made using pre-production units of the next-generation handset, which could push its introduction back as far as August from June.

AppleInsider notes, however, that the original piece over at Fortune was authored by Scott Moritz, who during his tenure at TheStreet.com was repeatedly accused of intentionally spreading misinformation on Apple to drive the down the company's share price. As such, his claims should be treated with caution.

In yet another twist, BoyGenius appears to be backing claims that the 3G BlackBerry is facing delays, but alleges that the information for the Fortune report was sourced from his website without accreditation.