Seems like there was probably a fundamental flaw in Intel's approach and they had to start over almost from scratch. Otherwise, why would Intel have given up so easily?
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Kuo: Apple's Work on 5G Modem Chip 'Failed,' Qualcomm to Remain Supplier for 2023 iPhones
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I wasn’t really looking forward to this change anyway. Just like Apple being good at some things, so is Qualcomm.
Why two companies whose hardware design experience mainly focuses in digital design, albeit high speed, think that they have the expertise in analog/RF design over a company that specializes in it is beyond me.
I for one love 5G. Once I hit 1 Gb/s outside, I was sold!!
Not really a surprise. Intel struggled with their modems too. Hopefully Apple can get it right eventually.
Congrats. You get 1 gb/s while AT&T throttles me after just a week of 5G each month, and that's even if I can get 5G as despite living in Austin Texas I hardly get it.
5G is seriously overrated.
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Did it occur to you that maybe English isn’t Kuo’s first language? He might not always choose the right words. Or, an Apple-designed modem could indeed not be released, it’s all just rumours after all.
The issue is QC stuff is insanely battery efficient and the top performer when compared to nearly anything out there even when its new tech that the industry is working out.
I do not believe they(apple) will be able to make it more efficient. This is more so a cost measure.
Apple doesn't have modem teams and who they do have came from Intel. Intel Flat out Gave up trying to compete.
Samsung, mediatek, BC and QC just are to good of performers in the modem field.
And of that list QC sits at the top.
MacRumors comments are just funny. /s
They first state 2020 as Apple is able to move mountains and create a modem of their own. They then think Apple will do it in 2021 or 2022 because "If Apple can create performance like A13 they can make 5G Modem". Then the news came out Qualcomm dropping Apple's revenue from their projected guidance in 2023 and everyone is thinking Apple's modem will come.
Now when Apple face possible project delay, "I am not surprised".
And why MacRumors hasn't reported the US Supreme Court rejecting Apple's Appeal on Qualcomm's case as well as Ericsson bringing Apple to court in more countries over 5G patent dispute?
They first state 2020 as Apple is able to move mountains and create a modem of their own. They then think Apple will do it in 2021 or 2022 because "If Apple can create performance like A13 they can make 5G Modem". Then the news came out Qualcomm dropping Apple's revenue from their projected guidance in 2023 and everyone is thinking Apple's modem will come.
Now when Apple face possible project delay, "I am not surprised".
And why MacRumors hasn't reported the US Supreme Court rejecting Apple's Appeal on Qualcomm's case as well as Ericsson bringing Apple to court in more countries over 5G patent dispute?
Assuming something changed between QC telling their investors "iPhone business is gone in 2023" and today (with Kuo's "survey" indicating Apple "failed" to meet the 2023 deadline), it can't be that big of a deal, otherwise one has to ask what misguided info QC had back when they were adamant they had lost the iPhone business for 2023. Are you telling me Kuo's "survey" has better industry insights than QC itself? Why did QC originally believe Apple was ready (tech-wise and legal-patent-wise) to ship the modem in 2023, so much so that they delivered that kind of bad news to their investors?
QCOM reports quarterly. Their next call is July 27. Kuo can report any minute of the day using Twitter.
Apple likely told QCOM in 2021 they weren't planning on buying any modems for 2023.
I’m not surprised at all. It takes years to develop and refine WiFi and cellular chips that can handle 4G / LTE / 5G and do it in a way that consumes as much or even less power as Qualcomm and other companies chips. They’ve been at this for years. Never the less if Apple remains committed to the project, hires the right people and licenses the right parents I believe it’s capable of getting there. Any doubters should see the chips Apple has been designing for its devices and now it’s Macs but it took a decade plus for Apple to produce its own SoC’s with Apple designed Silicone. The same will be true for modems and WiFi chips. It shouldn’t take as long but I can totally see it taking another several years before new chips designed by Apple for modems / WiFi / etc. are ready for prime time.
it's not remarkable, apple made its own arm soc chip in <4 years from scratch which is far more complex...it's due to qualcomm locking up all the key technology in patents. Same as asking you to design a new car but without the ability to use the 4x wheel setup and break pedal design because ford has a patent on it. That's what apple is trying to work around, they need the technology to advance further enough so those past patent/tech becomes obsolete. Unfortunately network technology such as phone modems advance at a glacier pace by general tech standard...
Near my place I regularly got close to 200Mbps on my iPhone 12 mini on 4G, and have hit 960Mbps on 5G but haven’t yet had a chance to test 5G at my best 4G location. Apart from bragging over Speedtest results, those peak speeds don’t mean much difference for iPhone use cases. Just sayin’.
The real benefit is less congestion on the cell towers, and thus good speeds delivered more reliably. For that alone I will settle for 5G.
Huh? I'm merely commenting on the fact that Kuo used the word "failed" but the MacRumors article uses the word "stalled". Either way, we'll see in a year or two or three whether an Apple designed modem does see the light of day.
Intel, Broadcomm, Qualcomm, Google (Motorola) have all these technologies patent locked. They have ruled the roost for a long time and shall continue to do so until they can overturn the market. But it won’t be with such direct competition and ultimately it’s in Qualcomm’s interest to play nice with Apple. Especially since Samsung also holds various technology patents over seas and well they’re just very very very late to market thinking they can bust in and overtake it.
Keep in mind that even the amazing M series chips are based on open sourced ARM designs. Which have strong competition from other ARM chip designers (ARM included). Technically Apple just hasn’t been in the chipset market at all or very long for all intents and purposes. And missing dates and deadlines on delivery are indeed failures. But failures need not be permanent. So sure things could turn around but the real question is…. Does the market want that to happen and does Apple want to be in it?