Vratislav Holub Apple has been working on the development of its own 5G modem for its iPhones for a long time. Currently, it relies on modems supplied by the Californian company Qualcomm, which can clearly be called the leader in this field. Qualcomm supplied these components to Apple in the past, and they were practically long-term business partners whose business was constantly growing. But after some time they ran into problems related to patent disputes. This resulted in the dissolution of cooperation and a long legal battle.
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Pavel Jelic After all, that's why iPhone XS/XR and iPhone 11 (Pro) relied exclusively on Intel modems. In the past, Apple bet on two suppliers – Qualcomm and Intel – who supplied virtually the same components, respectively 4G/LTE modems to ensure wireless connectivity. Due to the aforementioned disputes, however, the Cupertino giant had to rely exclusively on components from Intel in 2018 and 2019. But even that wasn't the most suitable solution. Intel could not keep up with the times and was unable to develop its own 5G modem, which forced Apple to settle relations with Qualcomm and switch to its models again. Well, at least for now.
Apple is working on developing its own 5G modems
Today, it is no longer a secret that Apple is directly trying to develop its own 5G modems. In 2019, the giant even bought the entire division for the development of modems from Intel, thereby obtaining the necessary patents, know-how and experienced employees who directly specialize in the given sector. After all, it was therefore expected that the arrival of own 5G modems would not take long. Even since then, several reports have flown through the Apple community informing about the development progress and potential deployment in the upcoming iPhones. Unfortunately, we did not receive any news.
iPhone 12 (2020) brought 5G support
It is slowly beginning to show that Apple, on the other hand, has considerable problems with development. At first, fans expected that the giant was facing difficulties on the side of development as such, where technology was the main obstacle. But the latest information mentions the opposite. By all accounts, technology shouldn't be such a problem. Apple, on the other hand, ran into a relatively major obstacle, which is surprisingly legal. And of course, none other than the already mentioned giant Qualcomm has a hand in it.
According to the information of a respected analyst named Ming-Chi Kuo, a pair of patents from the aforementioned Californian company are preventing Apple from developing its own 5G modems. It will therefore be extremely interesting to see how this issue is resolved. It is already more or less clear that Apple's original plans are not quite working out, and that even in the next generations it will have to rely exclusively on modems from Qualcomm.
Why Apple wants its own 5G modems
In conclusion, let's answer one rather fundamental question. Why is Apple trying to develop its own 5G modem for the iPhone and why is it investing so much in development? At first, it may seem like a simpler solution if the giant continues to purchase the necessary components from Qualcomm. Development costs a lot of money. Even so, the priority is still to bring the development to a successful conclusion.
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Amaya Toman If Apple had its own 5G chip, it would finally get rid of its dependence on Qualcomm after many years. In this regard, it is necessary to take into account that the two giants had a number of complex disputes between them, which affected their business relations. Independence is therefore a clear priority. At the same time, the Apple company could save money by using its own technologies. On the other hand, the question is how the development will develop further. As we have already mentioned several times, for now Apple is facing a number of problems, not only technological, but also legal.
