We told you about it at the beginning of the week, and it has just been officially confirmed by Apple, the Californian firm has just bought Intel's modem business for the sum of1 billion dollars.
With this acquisition, Apple will recover approximately2200 Intel employees, as well as the equipment and intellectual property of the microprocessor giant, with regard to the field of modem chips for smartphones.
Apple also gets its hands on17,000 patentsof wireless technology that Intel owns. These patents concern, among other things, cellular exchange protocols, but also the architecture and operations of modem chips.
Intel retains the possibility of being able to develop modem chips, but only for anything that does not directly relate to a smartphone. For example computers, connected objects, or even autonomous vehicles.
This acquisition will allow Apple to accelerate by several years the design of its own modem chips and the integration into its mobile devices. This will allow Apple to no longer be dependent on a supplier like Qualcomm, and to optimize performance with an in-house chip.
The 2019 iPhones should still include Intel modem chips. However, for next year, we would have to count on Qualcomm, but also Samsung for these same components in the iPhone, possibly capable of supporting 5G.
Designing a high-performance 5G modem chip is, however, a complicated task; it will take some time even with this acquisition of Intel's modem business. Perhaps with the 2021 or 2022 iPhone, we could see the first modem chip from Apple.
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By : Keleops AG
Deputy editor-in-chief, also known under the pseudonym Teza. Former video games journalist, who has been immersed in tech and Apple products since his very first iPhone 3GS in 2009. He has since worked for several American tech sites and now for iPhon.fr. Incidentally YouTuber and Apple product specialist on the MobileAddict channel. To contact me: maxime[a]iphon.fr
