iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max Equipped With Intel Modems

[Rainshadow]

The Intel vs Qualcomm modem debate has become such an echo chamber here that I think no one really knows the real difference.

Frankly, I doubt there is any real world difference and what little there might be, wouldn’t be noticeable.

No way Apple releases yet another phone with Intel modems if this wasn’t tested fully.

No kidding. I think many folks here upgrade more often and appoint other issues (ie antennae or surroundings or service providers) to the modem. Give me a break! When Apple doesn’t use biodegradable soap in their port-a-johns there is a news story about it. You guys think the sole modem in their flagship phone “constantly” drops reception and it’s not an international news story? Ha!

Meanwhile, I HAVEN’T changed phones since iPhone 7 and I have more recently started to experience poor reception inside buildings especially thick concrete ones or homes with metal roofs. Maybe Apple replaced my modem when I handed it over for the battery replacement last year.

show me proof of the modem alone being the only variable and I’ll join the tinfoil hat brigade.

 

[kcslc]

Another reason to wait for next year’s iPhone 12, 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max.

*iPhone 11s, iPhone 11s Pro, iPhone 11s Pro Max, iPhone 11s Pro Max mini, iPhone 11s Pro Max Super

Calling it now.

 

[Macpro2019]

This is why I left s max for note 10 plus. Couldn't deal with the modem.

 

[jezbd1997]

I see the armchair cellular engineers are still at it. Intel will ALWAYS be bad and Qualcomm is ALWAYS great. Everyone on these forums have been telling me that for several years now so it must be true. I’m surprised Apple is even able to sell these iPhones with the crap Intel modems in them. They’re practically unusable!!

Let’s hope the 11 models have been improved, the most frustrating issues on my end are low signal indoors compared to previous Qualcomm iPhones and random dropouts

 

[Digital Dude]

My XS Max has much, much worse connectivity than my 7 Plus did. Intel modem is a guaranteed no buy for me.

Yep, I gave my 7+ to my GF and now my current XS-Max is inferior for sure. I wasn't planning to upgrade this year anyway.

 

[Pinhead117]

Fortunately, I never had a single problem with my XS Max. Apparently, some of the Intel Modems work perfectly.

 

[jlocker]

I am looking forward to the WIFI 6 in the new iPhone 11 models. The first Apple product to have 802.11AX. And yes I have a 802.11AX router and I have not enjoyed better WIFI communications. The Netgear router kicks butt.

 

[Pinhead117]

I just bought a Netgear-Nighthawk AX12 12-Stream AX6000 Wi-Fi 6 Router a month ago and I'm loving it! I set it up as a wireless AP with my FIOS quantum gateway as the main router. The gateway alone had horrible range and I had to use a stupid wireless extender from verizon to get my Nest Cams to work. With the Netgear handling the wireless signal, I threw the extender in the garbage. Very happy with it! Looking forward to seeing it with the iPhone.

 

[roar08]

...but the new iPhones are most likely equipped with the XMM 7660, the final modem that Intel produced before shutting down.

Who knew Intel shut down? They must've issued the press release during an Apple event.

 

[v0lume4]

5G has such poor range and requires so many more transmitters for decent coverage it'll be years before most of us will ever be using it on a day to day basis.

Part of me wonders if we'll ever actually see proper 5G outside of urban areas at all. They're basically just WiFi routers. I really doubt we're gonna be driving down country roads or around, say, the Dakotas with 5G modems installed on the little mile marker along the road. I have a feeling that rural America will just see 5GE (which I hear is basically 4G?) going forward.

I could be wrong about that. To be honest I don't get the 5G thing anyway. It seems like SO much work and money all for... what? Your average Joe has WiFi in their home. Your average coffee shop also offers WiFi. Why do we need glorified WiFi routers when 60Mbps+ LTE will do in between the home and office?

 

[apolloa]

And going by how dreadful my XR reception has been I will never touch an Intel modem again ever! They are utter rubbish, it was one of the worst component decisions Apple ever made.
[doublepost=1568784386][/doublepost]

Looking forward to Qualcomm iPhones again next year, my XR will be my first and last Intel iPhone, what a frustrating experience it’s been with reception. At one point I got so frustrated, I thought about going down to an 8+ for the reception alone, but I’ll just stick it out for one more year.

Same for me, next year I will upgrade and keep the phone for a long time as long as it has an Intel modem, the only upgrades I want to see on the XR’s replacement next year, and which it has been heavily rumoured to receive, are a Qualcomm modem and an OLED screen. Otherwise keep it the same as the new 11.
I’ve tested my 6S multiple times and it always gets better reception then my XR, and it never randomly drops WiFi like the XR does! I really hope Apple don’t just rebrand Intels modems as Apple ones and they actually design a new Modem that works! Otherwise their phone reception will be amongst the worst in the industry for a premium price!

 

[Packers1958]

It's a craptel modem and a craptel Apple fail.
[doublepost=1568785122][/doublepost]Apple bought the intel patents, and that's it. They will not create their own modem.

 

[Wokis]

Sounds like it is a new model of a modem so who’s really to say that it will perform the same as the previous?

 

[chatin]

My new green max will have 6th gen wifi and possibly 7th gen hidden away for a future unlock.

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Apples Innovation pace has radically declined. Not unprecedented in its history.

iPhone 11 the crap master.
iPhone 12 will be crap too because beta device.
iPhone 13 will be a decent device. Wow 2 more years

HUAWEI and Samsung have already fantastic devices!

 

[Analog Kid]

No, Apple bought their 5G modem division

I don't see any evidence of that. Everything I read, including the Apple press release, indicates that Apple bought "the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business. Approximately 2,200 Intel employees will join Apple, along with intellectual property, equipment and leases". Do you see something that says only the 5G business?
[doublepost=1568787226][/doublepost]

Um, I’d say technically it is not, as of now.

Yeah, but when people come back to this thread in Q4 it will be...

 

[Coconut Bean]

Prediction: Half those features likely won't pan out, and many people will also be disappointed by next year's iPhone. I suspect all the folks who are convinced that this is the wrong year to upgrade have an overly optimistic view of the future.

Yeah, It will be a Face ID improvement, 5G and a smaller notch/bezels (I don't see them going with under-display cameras the next year). Reverse wireless is a cool gimmick, but most people will use it rarely.

 

[Nozuka]

Apples Innovation pace has radically declined. Not unprecedented in its history.

iPhone 11 the crap master.
iPhone 12 will be crap too because beta device.
iPhone 13 will be a decent device. Wow 2 more years

HUAWEI and Samsung have already fantastic devices!

And what makes them better than apples offerings?

 

[ds2000]

Prediction: Half those features likely won't pan out, and many people will also be disappointed by next year's iPhone. I suspect all the folks who are convinced that this is the wrong year to upgrade have an overly optimistic view of the future.

Exactly, It'll most likely be an S release with slightly bumped specs and no new features.

 

[dan9700]

Not good news the Xs max has had a year of terrible late support thanks to intel now I’m thinking the new 11 pro will be the same, great

 

[FrancoRumors]

My X has an Intel modem and the AT&T one that was found to be the worst. I hate the thing, worst reception of any iPhone I have ever owned. I want to throw this thing out of a window sometimes. I hope the intel chip in the 11 Pro is much better than my current chip.

Same here... I’m upgrading anyway but intel modem with att can EMB.
[doublepost=1568790590][/doublepost]

Could someone ELI5 why modem affects signal strength? I can see how modems might be able to achieve different speeds with identical signal strengths, but I'd assume the signal attenuation would be a factor of surroundings rather than modem.

From what I understand the intel modem doesn’t perform well in areas with weak signal. This has been true for me first hand. If I’m in an LTE area with 1-2 bars I experience dropped calls on my X. My wives 8 plus has no problem in the same areas.

 

[greenl1ght]

and it never randomly drops WiFi like the XR does!

FWIW, Wi-Fi is handled by a separate modem by Broadcom, not the main Intel/Qualcomm cellular modem. Wi-Fi issues have nothing to do with Intel.

Fortunately, I never had a single problem with my XS Max. Apparently, some of the Intel Modems work perfectly.

I wonder if it's an incompatibility with certain operators, because I've also had no issues, including in like basements and stuff.

 

[FamVR]

As the article states, this doesn't come as a surprise. Qualcomm 5G is coming for 2020.

Ehm. Nope. At least not for Apple.

 

[eulslix]

And that's not even remotely the worst part of this story...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/antenna-gain.2198382/

 

[ThatGuyInLa]

There hasn’t been a more skippable generation of iPhones like this in some time. Maybe the most skippable.