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Rumours about a possible takeover of PrismML by Apple surfaced after reporting by The Information and comments from the startup’s CEO. PrismML specialises in compressing large language models so they can run on mobile devices. Recently the company boasted about running a modified Qwen 3.6 model with 27 billion parameters on an iPhone 17 Pro. Although the technology has attracted industry interest, experts are sceptical about reports of a possible acquisition. In their view, the way the matter was disclosed does not resemble Apple’s usual practices. That raises questions about whether there are genuinely serious negotiations underway, or whether this is more of an attempt to promote the startup.
Public disclosure of talks doesn't fit Apple's style
One of the main reasons for scepticism is the behaviour of PrismML's CEO, who openly admitted in an interview with CNBC that Apple is evaluating his company's technology. He also said the talks were preliminary and moving in a positive direction. For Apple, however, such public comments are rare. The iPhone maker has long been known for a very strict approach to confidentiality, especially when it comes to acquisitions and the development of new technologies. Information about potential acquisitions rarely reaches the public before deals are signed or officially announced. That's why some analysts believe the CEO's disclosure of details may have undermined the credibility of the whole story. Some even suggest the remark was primarily intended to raise the company's profile among investors and business partners. Additionally, Apple has not publicly commented on these reports. The lack of comment from the company does not, of course, determine the outcome of the talks, but it is consistent with its usual communications strategy. Until the company issues an official statement, reports of a possible acquisition should be treated as speculation.
Apple is developing its own AI models and may not need PrismML
A second argument against the acquisition is Apple’s development of its own artificial intelligence technologies. The company is working intensively on the Apple Foundation Models family, which form the basis for Apple Intelligence and the new version of Siri. According to earlier reports, Apple also uses Google’s Gemini models as a foundation for building its own solutions optimised to run on its devices. One of PrismML’s biggest strengths is shrinking AI model size while maintaining high performance. Meanwhile, Apple has already developed its own models designed to run directly on users’ devices. These solutions activate only a subset of parameters depending on the task, which reduces memory usage and boosts performance. That means the company already has capabilities very similar to those offered by PrismML. Additionally, Apple has long been known for its cautious approach to large acquisitions and for thoroughly analysing the viability of every investment. In that context, buying a startup developing technology similar to its own solutions seems less likely. Of course, cooperation between the two companies cannot be completely ruled out, but at present there is no evidence pointing to the deal being finalised soon.
Reports of a possible acquisition of PrismML by Apple have sparked considerable interest, but so far there is no concrete evidence to support that scenario. Public comments from the startup’s CEO, and the fact that Apple is developing its own AI technologies, have led many experts to view the reports with considerable scepticism. An official statement from the iPhone maker on the matter is still awaited.
source: wccftech
