(Image source: 9to5 Mac)

BY EVAN THOMAS

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Apple is rumored to be eyeing an acquisition of Israeli semiconductor company Anobit. What makes this acquisition special? How about the price tag -- as much as $500 million.

The rumors surfaced in the Hebrew business newspaper Calcalist, which reported Apple would likely pay between $400 and $500 million for the memory manufacturer. The company doesn’t publicize its clients, but the report claims Apple already uses Anobit’s technology in its consumer products.

TechCrunch says this sort of acquisition isn’t standard Apple practice.

“If the report checks out, this would mark Apple’s first acquisition in Israel ... and also a rare occasion because the consumer electronics giant doesn’t usually buy non-software companies.”

It’s true -- Apple bought semiconductor company Intrinsity last year, and has bought five software companies since. But MacRumors points out Apple’s got a vested interest in the chips that makes its devices tick.

“Flash memory has been a key component in Apple's products over the past decade. Apple's reliance on Flash remains with the ongoing popularity of the iPhone and shift in notebooks to [solid-state drives].”

A solid-state drive built from flash memory chips allows for faster data speeds and is generally less prone to failure than a traditional hard drive. But this buyout could mean bigger things for Apple than just the tech-- SlashGear suggests this acquisition could indicate a reworking of alliances.

“Neither Apple nor Anobit have commented publicly on the acquisition talk. However, assuming it pans out to be true, it could well be another step on the path away from Samsung reliance for Apple.”

What does this mean for consumers? Computerworld says-- leaner, faster iPods, of course.

“Take the iPod classic, this could conceivably be made available as a 256GB flash device: you'd get an instant-on device with superb battery life, excellent durability and plenty of space for those hefty Lossless Audio files.”

Solid-state memory systems are expected to become the norm in Apple’s flagship computers within the next couple of years.