Apple has reportedly been in the process of making its own 5G modem chips since November last year. New reports indicate that it won’t be ready by 2020. Rather, it will be completed in time to fit into the iPhones of 2021.
The iPhone maker has already made the move designing its own chip. Sources to Fast Company also stated that the company has a team of between 1000 and 1200 engineers working on just that. After Apple’s employees have done designing the modem chip, then the fabrication will be handled by either TSMC or Samsung.
At the same time, reports also indicate tensions between Apple and Intel. The latter currently supplies 5G modem chips to the former, but is having trouble meeting development deadlines for the XMM 8160 5G modem. This has caused the iPhone maker to lose confidence in Intel, and believes that the semiconductor company may not deliver the chip in time.
Come 2021, It looks like there will be one more component of the iPhone that Apple makes in-house. And since it already has its own chipset in the form of the A12X Bionic, the company’s next generation chipset may also have an integrated modem.
(Source: Fast Company)
