Paul Morris·

Apple Working With Intel On Modem For 5G-Capable iPhone

It is being reported that Apple is currently in an “engaged” working partnership with Intel on the design and production of chips that will allow a future iPhone to ship with faster 5G wireless broadband capabilities.

The report suggests that Apple’s executives are leaning toward partnering with Intel for future iPhone chips rather than Qualcomm, with the suggestion being that talks between Apple and Qualcomm have been “limited” at this stage; this according to a “source with knowledge.”

The news comes hot on the heels of Intel announcing that it has successfully managed to complete “a full end-to-end 5G call based on its early 5G silicon,” which is undeniably one of the first key hurdles overcome in its pursuit of perfecting this technology. Qualcomm has been favored by a lot of individuals in the know to actually be the front-leader for this type of technology, with companies like Intel having to play catch up.

However, Apple doesn’t seem to agree with that notion and is understood to believe that Intel’s approach and its 5G modem would be the best fit for iPhones going forward.

The “source in the know” is suggesting that Intel’s executives believe winning the 5G business with Apple is a “must-win” situation due to the lagging nature of its modem business and the boost that would provide, both financially and from a reputation in the market perspective. After all, where Apple treads, others tend to follow behind rather quickly:

Intel has lagged far behind Qualcomm in the modem market, but has a small army working on 5G, numbering in the “multiple” thousands.” The initiative to provide the 5G modem for the iPhone is now considered a “must-win” for Intel.

An iPhone running a 5G wireless modem would be a sight to actually behold with its potential speed being in the gigabits. However, the existence of the technology from Intel’s perspective isn’t enough, with carriers and other companies needing to upgrade and put a lot of additional technical infrastructure in place before it is of any benefit to consumers.

As we know, Apple is currently in an ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm, which actually has a lot to do with Intel, so it’s no surprise that Tim Cook’s company is leaning toward the latter as a long-term future supplier.

(Source: Fast Company)

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