Apple reportedly continues actively working on its own cellular modem chip for iPhone

According to a novel report, Apple has been actively hiring silicon engineers for its San Diego business office to piece of employment with the company’s growing Wireless Architecture squad on a years-long endeavour to railroad train a custom cellular modem for time to come iPhone models.

From The Information’s paywalled study today:

Now Apple has provided the clearest prove nevertheless that it is working on 1 of the close complicated as well as expensive hardware ingredients inward its devices: a cellular modem. In a chore listing posted a calendar week ago, which hasn’t previously been reported, the fellowship said it is looking for a cellular modem systems architect to piece of employment inward its San Diego office.

And a somebody briefed on Apple’s plans confirmed that the company, indeed, has an active projection to construct its ain cellular modem chip, which connects Apple’s phones to the networks of wireless carriers. Due to the complexity of the chip, it could accept Apple equally long equally iii years to send iPhones with them, analysts said.

There were rumblings inward the past times that Apple would eventually pattern its ain iPhone modems.

Following Apple’s legal spat with Qualcomm, Intel is straightaway the sole maker of iPhone modem chips. The Cupertino draw of piece of employment solid is currently using Intel modems inward 2018 iPhones whereas the previous ii iPhone generations used modems dual-sourced from Intel as well as Qualcomm.

Assuming the study is accurate, the electrical flow Intel partnership volition hold upwardly short-lived. While Intel did lately unveil its real showtime 5G-capable modem that could ability 2020 iPhone models, what happens beyond 2020 is anyone’s guess.

I read somewhere that designing a dedicated flake for treatment cellular connections is an extremely daunting task that requires a squad of to a greater extent than than a yard skilled silicon engineers to brand it happen, patents as well as licensing issues notwithstanding.

Some of the key features of Intel’s showtime 5G modem

Apple for sure leads the manufacture past times a large margin when it comes to custom processors as well as mobile silicon performance. Its A-series chips travel on to integrate to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than functions, including dedicated machine learning hardware that arrived with final year’s A11 Bionic chip.

But for all its vertical integration, it’s interesting to me that Apple’s chips don’t nevertheless integrate cellular modems. This is particularly interesting because Samsung’s Exynos processors integrate the company’s ain cellular modems. Integration helps avoid using a dedicated, power-hungrier constituent for cellular functionality.

The time to come is equally clear equally it has been for the past times few years. We’re seeing Apple edifice to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than chips of its ain (W-series wireless chips for well products, T-series safety chips for Macs, S-series iOS device processors etc.) as well as thus there’s no dubiety this is a constituent of the wide computer programme to travel on differentiating its products from contest past times non using off-the-shelf parts.

A time to come A-series flake that integrated a tightly integrated modem without unnecessary functions—highly optimized for iPhone as well as battery power—could easily assist brand time to come iPhones fifty-fifty faster as well as thinner land helping Apple fully command its wireless destiny.

iPhone XR picture courtesy of MKBHD

Share this post