Looks like Apple will be ridding itself of Qualcomm as soon as they can. As they say, “If you can’t fix it, throw money at it until you own someone who can fix it.”
I’m interested in how this is going to change Apple’s SoCs. Probably means we’ll see Apple-designed chips with the modem integrated into the SoC?
Yeah. Way to go Apple. You show Qualcomm who’s boss after playing companies nasty.
It’s like renting versus buying your house. Renting is cheaper in the short-term and allows for much greater flexibility. You can invest the money in the market, which is a much better investment. And it isn’t scary like buying.
But they screw you when you rent. Every year they try to raise the rent and they try to steal your security deposit when you leave.
Apple wants to be in control of their own destiny, beholden to no one, and they have the capital to do it. Just like buying a house; it’s expensive, but depending on your situation, may well make sense.
OK so this is actually quite interesting.
It’s probably quite clear that Apple wont have been happy with the progress of Intel’s modems. There… OK. Which quite frankly isnt acceptable for an iPhone.
I was curious if they would try to do this. With all the tech and patents in their hands there free to do what they’ve done with the iPhones processor, and make something that’s just really good.
My only hope is they don’t do what other companies do and completely botch it up.
Qualcomm does need competition, even if its only available on the iPhone 
If they can make an Apple processor equivalent for the modem, ill be very happy. and im sure everyone else will too.
Good for both Intel and Apple, probably bad for Qualcomm.
I cannot wait for the lawsuits. They were all ready caught giving the patents and advancements Qualcomm had to Intel to try and get them up to speed. So now that they don’t have to go the extra step apple will likely steal the current Qualcomm patents they have access to and rip them off wholesale.
After all, 30% worse will not fly.
It should hopefully make a little healthy competition. Android may not be able to use Apples chips, but the existence of the chips should hopefully continue to motivate competition.
This was proven?
Qualcomm just strikes me as a dick company, they weren’t really getting competition from Intel, so even if the chips will just be used in iPhones it should put some hurt on Qualcomm.
Don’t know what Broadcom is even doing these days. After Qualcomm went crying to the US government to prevent Broadcom from buying them, I guess they just gave up.
Looking at it, I think i just read that Apple were were banned from selling iPhones in germnay unless they used Quallcomm chips. Which sounds absurd.
But, Apple have also got a little time on their hands. They have a 6 year global license for Quallcomm chips, since they are the only people with 5g there isnt much choice in that regard so they actually made a good move.
it makes a whole lot of sense when you add the deal they struck with the Intel purchase. 6 years to make their own 5g (and whatever the future holds) chips is hopefully plenty of time.
Seeing how fast they nailed the gpu I have no doubt they will do the modem fairly quickly too.
They were accused by Qualcomm of it. It was reported pretty widely and apple very quickly made it a second level headline by settling with them and agreeing to just use their parts.
It was part of the 2017 case and as part of the continuing case AF the time Qualcomm wanted Intel to provide its patent source for certain parts. Intel agreed they would but then failed to deliver the longer it went on. In the end I believe nothing came of the claim because apple made it go away before it got to that point.
So it was only an accusation.
It is a stretch to think apple can make 30% improvements over intel and beat Qualcomm which they admit were just the best at it.
I read it on the register. L1T reported on it in one of the news’s.
An accusation and proof are very different, even a settlement is difficult to take as proof of guilt.
That not to say it isn’t likely it happened.
The settlement though was an excellent move by Apple when Qualcomm are basically the only ones they can use for 5g until they make their own.