Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports

[sideshowuniqueuser]

Umm, that makes zero sense. Greedy companies worry about their bottom line over all else. A greedy company would prefer to buy the cheapest, off the shelf parts to build their devices, rather than invest billions in developing their own technologies.

Apple doesn’t bring things in house because of their bottom line, they do it, because they want to be able to control their own product road maps, part of which means relying less and less on 3rd party components.

No, greedy companies only care about their profits. That doesn't equate to the cheapest parts, which often come hand in hand with poor quality, resulting in issues which degrade profits.

Apple is an extremely greedy company. So many product compromises in the name of profits.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

I’m sure Qualcom is rolling when reading this article.

27” iMac
Apple Car
Apple Card
5G modem
Time Capsule
AirPort Express
MacPro (gutted)
Final Cut Pro (neglected)
Siri (from bad to unusable)
Aperture (A loved product that is still better than anything from Adobe.)

As I’ve been saying for a while:
1. Hubris born of success
2. Undisciplined pursuit of more
3. Denial of risk and peril
4. Grasping for salvation
5. Capitulation to irrelevance

Apple is still selling, and making money, but the sales are getting lower as the product quality diminishes and more and more longtime, loyal customers feel that Apple products no longer “just work.”

Yeah, I've been on the fence for a while, and finally just switched from iPhone to a Pixel 8 after over a decade on iPhones. The iPhone is no longer the best phone IMO.

I'm still getting used to the Pixel, and working out how to do things the Android way, but damn, it's been a breath of fresh air. So many little features, options, and settings which aren't on the iPhone, the lack of which were constantly frustrating. So far it is blowing the iPhone out of the water.

I still love my MacBook Pro, and no plans to switch, the hardware and macOS are still far better than the competition.

I will be curious how Windows goes with the plethora of new non-Apple ARM chips coming out, and as the development of ARM Windows ramps up. I don't really have faith in MS getting it right though, or any single laptop producer being remotely capable of making a decent machine.

 

[sideshowuniqueuser]

The Kirin 9000s says hello

It has Huewai AI architecture. It ain't going to make it into Apple products, or any US products for that matter.

 

[ksec]

You'll likely find my multiple concerns about Apple not being able to get there without stepping on Qualcomm IP, and the respect I have for Qualcomm founders and their early systems engineering work in the field of modern digital communications.

Of course I remember. After I couldn't be bothered to make any technical discussions on Macrumors. You were the only few who defended Qualcomm.

One will need understanding of Semi Design, Fab, Supply Chain, Business, 3GPP Standard ( 3G / 4G / 5G ), Telecom industry and real world usage of patents. And lots of other adjacent subjects. Not only do they not understand any single one of them. Nor did they bother to do some research on all of their assumption that were wrong. They didn't even bother to ask and learn.

Once we confirmed Apple couldn't make it. I am sure all the web will be an echo chamber about how hard the 5G Modem are etc. Without actually understanding WHY it couldn't be done.

 

[smulji]

Qualcomm's founders (Andrew Viterbi, Irwin Jacobs, etc) long ago pretty much wrote the book on the science of modern digital communications. And have thousands of patents in that field to protect their IP.

There was no way Apple could compete in that field, which is FAR different than competing with Intel with respect to CPU/GPU design.

Apple's goal obviously was to design a modem that was not only low-power but one they could integrate onto their SoC. Kind of hard to do if they still have to keep purchasing modems from a 3rd party.

 

[citysnaps]

Apple's goal obviously was to design a modem that was not only low-power but one they could integrate onto their SoC. Kind of hard to do if they still have to keep purchasing modems from a 3rd party.

And even harder to do without having a deep background in modern digital communications systems engineering science. Which is what Qualcomm is all about, going back decades, with founders who fostered that to fruition.

 

[tomtad]

Trillion dollar company can’t do something like a simple 5g modem hmmm

I do find this fascinating. Clearly there’s a lot of very advanced technologies in a 5G modem chip but you struggle to see Apple being unable to create one, unless they ran into patent difficulties or something like that.

I presume they got to a position where they weren’t really able to improve on what was already on the market so it wasn’t worth the cost.

 

[smulji]

And even harder to do without having a deep background in modern digital communications systems engineering science. Which is what Qualcomm is all about, going back decades, with founders who fostered that to fruition.

Going forward, this can definitely give Qualcomm a big edge in the mobile devices, wearables and PC space. On a side note, Apple did sign a major deal with Broadcom so I wonder if this deal can help Apple wean itself off of Qualcomm (eventually)

Apple announces multibillion-dollar deal with Broadcom

Today Apple announced a multiyear, multibillion-dollar agreement with Broadcom, a leading U.S. manufacturing and technology company.

www.apple.com

 

[JPack]

Apple's goal obviously was to design a modem that was not only low-power but one they could integrate onto their SoC. Kind of hard to do if they still have to keep purchasing modems from a 3rd party.

Apple integrated Imagination GPUs from A4 to A10 and paid for the IP. Qualcomm probably wouldn't mind the same agreement as long as they got paid.

It doesn't make complete sense for Apple to integrate a baseband into A-series. Qualcomm sells modems, so they'll naturally integrate that into everything they sell. But Apple doesn't need a modem in every iPad, Apple TV, or Studio Display they sell. The baseband also doesn't need the latest and most expensive N2X transistors from TSMC because it's not a high speed device.

 

[smulji]

But Apple doesn't need a modem in every iPad, Apple TV, or Studio Display they sell

They would want them in their wearable devices & iPhones where internal space is at a premium and power-efficiency is crucial.

 

[tny]

Buy Qualcomm and be done with it.

Qualcomm has a market cap of $144B. Apple has $61B cash on hand. If I recall correctly, Apple prefers all-cash transactions because loans and stock transfers both reduce their control over outcomes.

 

[Beautyspin]

Seems like the problem could be that they acquhired the wrong business unit or it is just really hard to make a competitive chip under the intellectual property regime companies must deal with daily (patent litigiousness over very broad patented concepts).

Tough to be on the other side of the patent issues, for Apple.

 

[smulji]

Since Nokia is the major patent holder for 6G perhaps Apple will negotiate with Nokia on a contract for custom ASIC designs moving forward. Qualcomm isn't the biggest in the game for long. The irony that Nokia now owns Bell Labs seems lost on most folks. That means all the former Lucent and Alcatel IP as well.

So what does Apple do in the meantime? Keep using Qualcomm modems?

 

[257Loner]

You
What’s stopping Apple from successfully deploying modems of their own engineering and design using the Intel modem patents they bought in their iPhones?

ChatGPT 3.5
Developing and deploying modems involves complex engineering, technical challenges, and integration into a wide range of devices. While Apple acquired Intel's modem business, successfully incorporating them into iPhones requires overcoming several hurdles, such as:

1. Technical Challenges: Designing and manufacturing modems involves intricate technical specifications. Ensuring compatibility, reliability, and performance across various networks and devices is a complex task.

2. Integration: Apple would need to seamlessly integrate the modem into their existing hardware and software ecosystem. This integration process can be intricate and time-consuming.

3. Patent Licensing: Even with Intel's modem patents, Apple might still need to navigate licensing agreements or potential patent-related challenges from other companies. The technology landscape is often subject to legal complexities.

4. Testing and Certification: Modems must undergo extensive testing and certification processes to meet regulatory standards and ensure reliable performance. This can be a time-consuming aspect of deployment.

5. Market Dynamics: The telecommunications market is highly competitive, and the success of a new modem depends on its ability to outperform or at least match competitors in terms of speed, reliability, and power efficiency.

Apple has made strides in developing its own components, like the M-series chips, but the process involves meticulous planning and execution. While Apple may eventually integrate its own modems into iPhones, the complexities involved could be influencing the timeline for such a transition.


lol. Talking to ChatGPT is like talking to Data from Star Trek.