Apple’s upcoming “iPhone 8” might lag behind the competition in data speed because only one modem manufacturer will have a high-speed product available in time for the phones, claims Bloomberg.
Previously, Apple has previously included two modem manufacturers within the same phone model launch in part to avoid reliance on one manufacturer. Qualcomm, which is currently the only company with a 1-gigabyte modem at the ready. And the two companies are involved in a legal brouhaha involving royalty charges (https://appleworld.dreamhosters.com/blog/2017/1/20/apple-sues-qualcomm-for-unfair-royalty-charges?rq=Qualcomm).
Intel is working on a modem capable of 1-gigabyte download speeds, but it wont be ready in time to make it into new iPhones, says Bloomberg. Until Intel is able to offer its chips with matching features, Apple won’t enable some of capabilities of the phones running with Qualcomm modems, the article says.
Apple is also certainly working on its own solution, but it’s doubtful that it could be ready this year. The company has hired Qualcomm Engineering Vice President Esin Terzioglu as a wireless “System-on-a-Chip” lead, offering more evidence that the company may plan to expand its internal chip development into Broadband Processors working as mobile modems.
Also, Apple suppliers are reportedly mass producing components for the upcoming next-generation 2017 iPhones, reports Digitimes.
