Apple in 'Advanced Talks' to Buy Intel's Smartphone Modem Chip Business

CarlJ said:
Yes, Qualcomm will still get some cash (from patent licensing, when Apple eventually starts making their own modem chips), but Apple will gain more control of the hardware they use. They have a long history of being pained by other's control of the hardware/tools they need - most famously when they switched to PowerPC, and then after a few years IBM stopped caring about making faster/better processors that Apple could use. Apple jumped to Intel CPUs because in the Intel pond at least they could get the same options everyone else was getting. Then they started making (yes, not fabbing, but designing) their own ARM CPUs, which does give them nearly complete control over the CPUs they need (for iOS), and now iPhones are shipping with CPUs that are perfect for them, and tend to beat the CPUs the Android manufacturers use quite handily. It's clear that eventually, the Mac will switch to Apple designed processors (I don't expect that any time soon).

Apple did a great job on their ARM chips, if they can do similarly well on modem chips, they can get exactly the modem chips they want, and pay Qualcomm only for patent licensing.
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They can also potentially build the modem directly into the A-series die, reducing overall power consumption, allowing more room for battery, etc.
 
cmaier said:
They can also potentially build the modem directly into the A-series die, reducing overall power consumption, allowing more room for battery, etc.
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That’s probably the plan.
Can’t wait to see what Johny comes up with.
 
Excellent move if Apple can close this deal.

It will pay off in spades in the long run as Apple certainly has the means to do this.
 
Suttree said:
And Snapdragon. Makes me SO ANGRY when people say Apple’s inferior A chips are better than Snapdragon. This is false. Scientific evidence on YouTube videos doing app launch testing proves this. MAKES ME ANGRY!!!
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That’s only because they were launching the apps wrong.
 
Suttree said:
And Snapdragon. Makes me SO ANGRY when people say Apple’s inferior A chips are better than Snapdragon. This is false. Scientific evidence on YouTube videos doing app launch testing proves this. MAKES ME ANGRY!!!
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> Scientific evidence (off app launch time)
> Comparing Apps running on entirely different operating systems

Pick one
 
lec0rsaire said:
We should expect the Apple M1 in the 2022 iPhone. Maybe sooner.
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M-series is Apples motion coprocessors.

If they close the deal with intel, it actually could be as soon as 2021. Depending on how far along they are with the xmm 8160 it could even be ready as soon as 2020.

5mm a14 with the 8160 or 8260 built in.... cant wait.
 
Makes sense. I have to think by the end of 2020, every Apple device sold (okay minus airpods) will have optional 5G.
 
cmaier said:
Smart move
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Decent bundle of patents to cross-license with Qualcomm and others, also includes all the Infineon IP. Will offset their Qualcomm license fees a bit.

When Apple stops buying Qualcomm chips, I assume they’ll continue licensing Qualcomm’s non-SEP portfolio?
 
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