Apple Hunting for Wireless Modem Engineers Near Qualcomm's San Diego Headquarters

[gnasher729]

If you can’t beat em, steal their employees!

Just to make this clear: You are supposed to. Apple, Google and Facebook paid nine digit fines because they had anti-poaching agreements. It's capitalism at work, supply and demand. Apple has every right to make a better offer to Qualcomm engineers.

 

[neuropsychguy]

Really catchy title.

It's perfect. No clickbait and tells the whole story.

 

[69Mustang]

In an ally behind Qualcomm HQ...

 

[recoil80]

California does not allow non-compete employment clauses, so Qualcomm can't stop Apple from hiring these people, but it does make me wonder how much an ex-Qualcomm employee could contribute at Apple without using proprietary information they absorbed while working at Qualcomm.

Those information are likely protected by patents, so Apple would still need to pay Qualcomm. Eventually the members of team will be able to have their own patents though.

 

[CWallace]

Best of luck to them, but 10 engineers won't cut it. Cellular modems are really complex, much more so than other processors. Frankly, there's a lot of black magic that goes into interpreting the specs and producing a chip that is going to excel on today's modern networks. Qualcomm pioneered the specs and have been doing this for a long, long time, which is why (so far) no other company has been able to produce a modem that performs anywhere near as well.

Agreed, but you have to start somewhere. We also don't know how much effort Apple has been putting into developing a cellular component for their Systems on a Chip. These engineers might be the start of the project or they might be the final pieces Apple needs to make it happen with the A13 or A14.

Best course of action would be for Apple and Qualcomm to settle in an equitable way, likely both making compromises as necessary — or Apple should just lay out the money to buy Qualcomm.

Even if Apple and Qualcomm were not at each other's throats, Apple clearly wants to control as much of the components as they can to optimize them for their devices and iOS to use it as a competitive advantage against other OEMs and mobile OSes.

 

[justperry]

Best of luck to them, but 10 engineers won't cut it. Cellular modems are really complex, much more so than other processors. Frankly, there's a lot of black magic that goes into interpreting the specs and producing a chip that is going to excel on today's modern networks. Qualcomm pioneered the specs and have been doing this for a long, long time, which is why (so far) no other company has been able to produce a modem that performs anywhere near as well. Best course of action would be for Apple and Qualcomm to settle in an equitable way, likely both making compromises as necessary — or Apple should just lay out the money to buy Qualcomm.

That doesn't mean squat, just an example, Motorola made wireless products/phones for ages, look at where they stand now, plenty more examples.
Just look at Apple's Ax CPU's, it's been a short time since they actually started developing them, look where they are right now, amongst the fastest chips and improving.

 

[bayelrey80]

Agreed, but you have to start somewhere. We also don't know how much effort Apple has been putting into developing a cellular component for their Systems on a Chip. These engineers might be the start of the project or they might be the final pieces Apple needs to make it happen with the A13 or A14.




Even if Apple and Qualcomm were not at each other's throats, Apple clearly wants to control as much of the components as they can to optimize them for their devices and iOS to use it as a competitive advantage against other OEMs and mobile OSes.

On top of that, Apple has been making strides with their mobile processors. If they can develop their own modem that works extremely well AND can be miniaturized ... Qualcomm has to be worried. They were not poised to stay on top forever

 

[dspdoc]

California does not allow non-compete employment clauses, so Qualcomm can't stop Apple from hiring these people, but it does make me wonder how much an ex-Qualcomm employee could contribute at Apple without using proprietary information they absorbed while working at Qualcomm.

Exactly! Like, gee where did you get that idea from? Hmmmmm LOL

 

[now i see it]

This company () apparently wants it all. No third party suppliers for anything is their dream. The penultimate control freak company. What's next? Apple mines for their aluminum? Apple oil fields & refineries to create their own plastic? There's no end to this. They'll never be satisfied.

 

[nebo1ss]

California does not allow non-compete employment clauses, so Qualcomm can't stop Apple from hiring these people, but it does make me wonder how much an ex-Qualcomm employee could contribute at Apple without using proprietary information they absorbed while working at Qualcomm.

This is certainly an issue and will see further law suits in the future. I guess Apple is trying to get ahead of the curve for 5G. Not sure what is happening in the US but most of the Major Cities in the UK will have 5G in 2019.

 

[FrenchRoasted]

California does not allow non-compete employment clauses, so Qualcomm can't stop Apple from hiring these people, but it does make me wonder how much an ex-Qualcomm employee could contribute at Apple without using proprietary information they absorbed while working at Qualcomm.

First they get all the secrets (engineering problem), then they try to figure out how to skirt patent law (job for lawyers).

 

[gavroche]

Qualcomm pioneered the specs and have been doing this for a long, long time, which is why (so far) no other company has been able to produce a modem that performs anywhere near as well.

Wouldn’t the fact that Apple’s entire current line does not use Qualcomm modems sort of refute the assertion that “no other company has been able to produce a modem that performs anywhere near as well.” I know, you are going to reply that Qualcomm’s is slightly faster/better. But to say nowhere near as well...

 

[Baymowe335]

Trust me the xs max reception problems are real. I’m on the latest iOS update and my xs Max constantly drops calls loses Wifi coverage and WiFi calling randomly stops working. It’s a mess.

Take it to Apple and keep telling them until they fix it.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

Trust me the xs max reception problems are real. I’m on the latest iOS update and my xs Max constantly drops calls loses Wifi coverage and WiFi calling randomly stops working. It’s a mess.

Who is your carrier?

I'm surprised Apple hasn't done this long ago. They are hardware company, why not make as much as the hardware as possible. Have more control over your product. Must be tons of other benefits for not having to deal with outside vendors.

 

[Banglazed]

The start to Apple-designed modem. I would want to see the future of this tech in every device. I'm still waiting for the Apple-designed processor for mac before I jump on it.

 

[busuan]

Supply chain management 502: Cut competitors' labor supply.

 

[Weaselboy]

First they get all the secrets (engineering problem), then they try to figure out how to skirt patent law (job for lawyers).

That seems like it would be very difficult to accomplish. As I understand patent law, you cannot patent an idea, but you can patent the implementation of the idea. So I suppose there might be some utility in using these Qualcomm hijacked engineers to work around a different implementation of some cellular modem technique or idea Qualcomm is using?

 

[citysnaps]

PSA: to avoid being mistaken for a wireless modem engineer, do not wear their telltale thick glasses, flannel shirts, and lustrous hipster facial hair. Please advise family members to do the same until the end of wireless modem engineer season. Thank you.

Always look forward to your posts. You have quite an imagination and creative skills to match!

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

If you can’t beat em, steal their employees!

Poach their employees then beat them? ;0)

 

[wigby]

Thousands of defective phones and Apple covered up the problem by removing post on there site and banning people. To this date there is still no fix for the problem. The thread may be slowing down cause most realize that Apple will not be able to fix bad hardware till next year.

Thousands of defective iPhones is only a defective rate of ~ 01% which is actually good. In the world of tech, these issues aren't covered up by any company but simply lose steam because of lack of complaints. Meanwhile, most of the customers complaining have gotten their phones swapped out for working ones or just took the hit and left the Apple fold.

 

[gavroche]

That seems like it would be very difficult to accomplish. As I understand patent law, you cannot patent an idea, but you can patent the implementation of the idea. So I suppose there might be some utility in using these Qualcomm hijacked engineers to work around a different implementation of some cellular modem technique or idea Qualcomm is using?

I think everyone here is taking a too shortsighted of an approach to this. Technology advances fast. Designs and tech being used today won't be used for long. Even within Qualcomm I'm sure they have different teams working on several different generations/advancements in technology. You want experienced engineers because they understand the process, more than the current existing tech. Do we really think Apple is interested in duplicating existing modem tech? Or developing more advanced tech?

 

[techwhiz]

That seems like it would be very difficult to accomplish. As I understand patent law, you cannot patent an idea, but you can patent the implementation of the idea. So I suppose there might be some utility in using these Qualcomm hijacked engineers to work around a different implementation of some cellular modem technique or idea Qualcomm is using?

Qualcomm owns some of the fundamental technology to implement some of the wireless algorithms.
Viterbi was a Qualcomm founder and if you are or have ever been in a signal processing class you know the name.
Even though Intel has it's own modems, they pay Qualcomm.

You can't get around Qualcomm in in wireless not matter what you do.

 

[mi7chy]

What skillset makes one poachable vs hunted? More importantly, what happened to the previous Apple employees occupying those roles? Seems like a downgrade in terms of working for a leading supplier to the world vs a customer that can't pay the bill plus going from perfect beach weather year round to vitamin D deficiency.

 

[gavroche]

Even though Intel has it's own modems, they pay Qualcomm.

You can't get around Qualcomm in in wireless not matter what you do.

I am under the impression that this is the crux of the lawsuit... what Apple is fighting over. That current modem tech has advanced beyond Qualcomm patents, yet they demand royalties anyway. As if they own wireless tech from here to eternity.

 

[lederermc]

about time after the XS cellular reception disaster !

My XS cellular reception is just fine.