Apple has sold over a billion iPhones since the first release in 2017. This staggering number of phones means an equally large number of components that need to be produced to bring the iPhones to market. Component suppliers have always been fighting over securing contracts with Apple, and as the story isn’t any different regarding the next iPhone.
Intel has just announced that they’ve been developing a 5G modem chip, and it’s finally very close to catching up with long time front-runner Qualcomm. Qualcomm’s LTE modem chip has enjoyed many years of being the chip of choice in most mobile devices, but Intel’s 5G modem development is threatening to dethrone Qualcomm once and for all.
5G is going to change the game for network carriers, but not just in transfer speeds. The CDMA network, which Sprint and Verizon currently use, is going to be “practically orphaned in the very near future,” according to Verizon. With the end of CDMA, Qualcomm’s LTE chipset is going to lose all its distinct advantages, paving the way for a more level playing field for carrier and network market alike with the 5G chip.
Intel still has a way to go, but they have announced successful end to end calls on 5G. While 5G development is still fairly young, partnering with Apple is a large incentive to push onward. In the next few years we just may see Qualcomm left in the dust as Apple adopts the new, faster Intel 5G chipsets.
