Apple made a vainglorious heap about5 G in the iPhone 12 , but there was one thing that was n’t mention in the keynote hype — the modem is n’t made by Apple . It ’s one of the few indispensable iPhone microchip that Apple does n’t fabricate , and a unexampled report says that is n’t going to change with the next few models .
Apple has been working on a 5 deoxyguanosine monophosphate modem since last year come after its purchase ofIntel ’s shuttered mobile modem business . The billion - dollar deal wreak patent , intellectual holding , and a couple of thousand employees as Apple look to cut tie beam with Qualcomm , which currently supplies the X55 modem in the iPhone 12 . However , TFT Securities analyst Ming - Chi Kuo report ( via MacRumors ) that Apple is n’t close to do its own mobile modem :
We predict that the iPhone will take over Apple ’s own intention 5 G baseband chips in 2023 at the former . As Android sale in the gamey - end 5 G telephone set food market are sluggish , Qualcomm will be coerce to compete for more orders in the lowly - end market to compensate for Apple ’s fiat loss .
Qualcomm stands to turn a loss a lot more than Intel by losing Apple as a customer . While Apple ’s decision to make its own M1 processor for the Mac clearly twinge , the iPhone is a much handsome Pisces the Fishes and likely account for a much larger per centum of Qualcomm ’s bottom stock .
Apple has made no secret of its intention to geld off Qualcomm as a provider , but it ’s the only company that can supply chip at the scale Apple motivation . Apple was engaged in a lawsuit with the caller over its royal line charge per unit before agreeing to amulti - year licensing agreement in 2019when it became clear that Intel would n’t be able-bodied to deliver 5 G modem as promised for the iPhone 12 .
