For decades, Intel was one of the most dominant companies in the global technology industry. Its processors powered the majority of personal computers, and its ability to both design and manufacture its own chips gave the company a major competitive advantage. But a series of strategic and manufacturing problems caused Intel to lose ground to competitors.In this episode, Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan examine Intel’s decline from its position at the top of the semiconductor industry and look at several recent developments that could signal a possible resurgence.
Dez begins by looking back at Intel’s position during the 1990s and early 2000s, when the company controlled an estimated 80 to 90 percent of the PC CPU market. Skip and Dez then examine one of the company’s biggest strategic mistakes. Intel was highly profitable selling processors for desktop and laptop computers and did not see mobile chips as an attractive business. When the smartphone market began expanding after the launch of the first iPhone in 2007, Intel missed the opportunity, leaving competitors to establish themselves in the mobile chip market.They next look at Intel’s manufacturing problems. For decades, Intel’s Integrated Device Manufacturer, or IDM, model allowed the company to design and manufacture its own processors. However, Intel ran into serious problems when attempting to move from 14-nanometer to 10-nanometer manufacturing. As a result, Intel’s traditional manufacturing advantage became a weakness. Skip and Dez then discuss the US government’s decision in August 2025 to purchase a stake in Intel for $8.9 billion. The rationale for the investment was national security and the desire to strengthen domestic semiconductor manufacturing while reducing US dependence on chips produced overseas.Finally, they examine several developments that may indicate Intel is beginning to recover. The company is competing in the budget laptop market with its Core 5 320 processor and has also created Intel Foundry, a standalone business unit that manufactures chips designed by other companies. D2B 420 examines how Intel went from dominating the personal computer processor market to facing one of the most difficult periods in its history. Complacency, missed opportunities in mobile computing, and years of manufacturing problems allowed competitors to gain ground.However, Intel’s story may not be over. Government investment, renewed competition in the budget laptop market, and the development of Intel Foundry are giving the company new opportunities. Whether these changes will lead to a full resurgence remains uncertain, but there are signs that Intel may be beginning to rebuild its position in the semiconductor industry.Do you like what you hear?Become a D2B Member today for to access to member-only episodes, our -- NEW!!! -- INTERACTIVE AUDIO SCRIPTS, PDF Audio Script Library, Bonus Vocabulary episodes, and D2B Member-only episodes.Visit d2benglish.com/membership for more information.