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Apple to Discontinue Custom 5G Modem Development, Claim Reports
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You don't need to doubt it because it's a fact. Intel has had cross licensing agreements with Qualcomm since the 1990s. Intel wouldn't be able to make CDMA modems without cross licensing. Apple's modem would need to support everything from 2G to 5G. Licensing with Qualcomm was a given from day one of Apple's design.
Implementation is different from patents. Everyone has access to ARM patents, but Apple was able to implement them in a better way. Intel didn't do a good job but Huawei did an excellent job with 5G. Different teams, different results.
You are totally correct and I’ve edited the post.
Aperture was years ahead, and it still way way better than anything from Lightroom.
You've totally missed the prevailing wisdom of these forums... Competition with Apple is good, competition by Apple is bad. Monopoly means Apple's 30% market share in smartphones, and 10% share in personal computers. Qualcomm has their 75% share because they're very good at what they do which doesn't count as a monopoly.
Thats the strange part. Why can Qualcom do it and Apple cant? Its not magic. It just comes down to people. They can build the M series chips and blow intel away but cant make a modem? Just seems strange.
ARM is completely different. ARM's entire business is licensing IP cores. Qualcomm makes modems.
Have you not been paying attention? There is no world in which Qualcomm is going to give up Apple's modem business in exchange for cheap licensing of their patented IP. There's been lawsuits and settlements over this already. This was an attempt by Apple to get out from under Qualcomm's grip, and they ultimately seem to have determined it's not feasible.
6G is already well into development. You can search for breakdowns of 6G patents and countries.
The real issue is Apple attempted a moonshot. They tried a modem without doing Wi-Fi or BT. It would be like trying to make M1 without A4 first.
Several others have been able to create 5G and 4G modems without overbearing patents, either because they developed their own or had great teams. Huawei, Samsung, UNISOC, Mediatek. This is an Apple problem.
Yeah.... hindsight is always 20/20.
Really though? I don't doubt Apple *could* successfully get their own 5G modem chip developed. If they can accomplish what they did with the M series processor, it's got to be less difficult than that. It's more about how much money and how many developer/engineering resources they're willing to throw at it. Since, unlike Qualcomm, they're not likely to make any profit reselling the chip to other phone-makers or hotspot makers, the entire project is never going to be more valuable to Apple than whatever it's projected to save them in costs buying from another vendor.
Sounds like the team, budget and other resources allocated for it weren't sufficient to deliver a decent product in a timely manner so Apple decided to scrap it.
But not the patents that matter because otherwise please explain how Intel have always made inferior modems to that of Qualcomm if Intel have had access to ALL of Qualcomm's modem patents due to cross license agreements. I therefore have no doubt cross license agreement did exist between the two companies but not with the patents that matter to Apple.
What if it's not a matter of technology in use, but a conflict issue with multiple patents, meaning that they will have to pay high royalty fees to third parties?
EDIT: I just noticed someone else mentioned this above, sorry if being repetitive.
EDIT: I just noticed someone else mentioned this above, sorry if being repetitive.
Yes, others have modems that work but if you read the article and many others on this issue, Apple require very high performance specs of the modem, specs which no one has been able to achieve but Qualcomm.
Apple's only problem is wanting to create a better modem in both performance and power efficiency. None of those make a better modem for the purpose of an iPhone than Qualcomm and that's directly related to the patented IP Qualcomm has on their 5G modem design. Apple is not willing to make sacrifices, even out of spite.
Well that is your problem right there. I have Tmobile and the 5GUC is a lot faster then LTE
This sentiment has basically been a quarterly copy/paste for the past 20+ years.
What about the Samsung Semiconductor Exynos Modem 5300 with 5300i / g5300i firmware / Baseband version integrated into Tensor G3 on the Google Pixel 8 Pro [ / https://i.redd.it/nocowul5e8tb1.jpg via ] (updated from the 5300q / g5300q on the Pixel Fold and Pixel 7 Pro [ https://preview.redd.it/2mwbmff9r8t...bp&s=f90ee98f84c5b4d7a2faea3cd855ec6293653307 ], itself updated from the 5300g / g5300g , both integrated into the Tensor G2)?
What about the MediaTek M80 integrated into the Dimensity 9300 SoC and T830 mobile hotspot platform?
I appreciate that the HiSilicon Balong 5000 integrated into the Kirin 9000S (and the 2020 iteration of the Kirin 9000, before it was downgraded) are ageing.
Apple has some Monopoly on certain things, but Qualcomm has full Monopoly over 5G technology in America 🇺🇸 alone
I have T-Mobile and Verizon. The local T-Mobile tower, 5UC, was 60mbit on lte and is 60mbit on 5gUC.
Seems doubtful, Apple has occupied a rather large building in San Diego where most of those modem engineers are, so if this turns out to be correct we will say layoffs happening as you cannot just use a modem/RF engineer for eg SOC…
Sorry, there are just some things you will not beat the leader or even be in the same ballpark. Qualcomm is that leader in this case.