Arm considers major price increase and potential chip design entry
Higher rates could be avoided by Apple and Qualcomm due to their in-house chip design capabilities, limiting Arm’s impact.

Arm Holdings, a key supplier to the semiconductor industry, is planning significant price hikes and has considered entering the chip design market. The British company, which licenses technology to major firms like Apple and Qualcomm, has historically focused on royalties from intellectual property rather than manufacturing its own chips.
CEO Rene Haas and SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son are reportedly pushing for a more aggressive revenue strategy. Plans revealed during a recent trial against Qualcomm disclosed the ‘Picasso’ initiative, aiming to increase smartphone revenue by $1 billion over a decade. The approach involves raising royalty fees by as much as 300% for the latest chip designs.
Documents from 2019 showed Arm executives discussing these increases, but customers like Apple and Qualcomm, capable of designing their own chips, may avoid the higher fees. Arm has also explored making complete chips or chiplets, a strategy Haas described as long-term speculation rather than a confirmed plan.
Meetings with Samsung executives in 2022 further highlighted Arm’s strategy shift. Concerns over licensing agreements with Qualcomm led Samsung to shorten a supply deal with the chipmaker. Arm has not publicly confirmed any immediate plans for chip production or pricing adjustments.