Intel is looking to be a provider of some dead-nifty LTE modems for the next-gen iPhone.
CLSA Securities analyst Srini Pajjuri has corroborated multiple reports claiming that Intel will supply LTE modems for the iPhone 7, according to a research note obtained by NDTV.
Pajjuri stated that Intel has acquired a “significant portion” of the LTE chips, this percentage thought to be around 30 to 40 percent of production. While supplier Qualcomm will be tasked with the remaining orders, Apple is apparently looking to cut some of its reliance on Qualcomm and is thus looking to Intel to pick up some of the slack.
As such, Intel is reported to have 1,000 or more employees working on preparing the Intel 7360 LTE modem for the iPhone 7 lineup. The 7360 LTE modem chip from Intel features faster theoretical downlink speeds up to 450 Mbps, uplink speeds up to 100 Mbps, and support for LTE category 10 and 29 LTE bands overall.
Apple currently sources all of its LTE modems for iPhones from Qualcomm, including the MDM9635 chipset in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which offers theoretical downlink speeds up to 300 Mbps and uplink speeds up to 50 Mbps. Qualcomm has been Apple’s exclusive supplier of LTE modems for over three years.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.