UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of report (Date of earliest event reported): January 30, 2013

Applied Micro Circuits Corporation

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

215 Moffett Park Drive, Sunnyvale, California 94089

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

(408) 542-8600

(Registrants telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

Item 2.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.

On January 30, 2013, Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (“AppliedMicro”) issued a press release regarding selected unaudited financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2012 and held a conference call to discuss those results. A copy of the press release and transcript of the conference call are furnished as Exhibit 99.1 and Exhibit 99.2, respectively, to this Current Report.

The information in this Item 2.02, Exhibit 99.1 and Exhibit 99.2 are being furnished and shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that Section. The information in this Current Report shall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or other document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits.

Forward-Looking Statements

The exhibits to this Current Report contain forward-looking statements that reflect the Company’s current view with respect to future events and financial performance, including statements regarding the chip performance of the 40nm and 28nm ARM 64-Bit X Gene server on a chip, the TAM for such product, the estimated range of payments for the Veloce acquisition, Company’s focus, product cycles, design-win pipeline, strategic re-focus and future revenues. These forward-looking statements are only predictions based on current information and expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, customer demand for the Company’s products, increased supplier lead times and other supply chain constraints, the businesses of the Company’s major customers, reductions, rescheduling or cancellation of orders by the Company’s customers, successful and timely development of products, successful integration and management of recently acquired businesses, market acceptance of new products, and general economic conditions. More information about potential factors that could affect the Company’s business and financial results is included in the “Risk Factors” set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2012, and the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially, as a result of such factors, from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of January 30, 2013. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

INDEX TO EXHIBITS