The delay holding up Apple’s anticipated 5G chip developed in-house for the iPhone 15 may not be due to design issues, but could in fact stem from legal concerns.
For years, Apple has used Qualcomm modem chips within the iPhone. When the iPhone 12 brought new 5G capabilities in 2020, Cupertino looked to Qualcomm to provide the chip.
Although Apple and Qualcomm worked together for years, this was not always a harmonious relationship. Apple accused Qualcomm of “double-dipping” by selling the company a chip while also demanding a patent royalty fee for the rights to tech use within the same chip.
From there, Qualcomm accused Apple of blackmail, the CEOs of both companies consistently arguing with each other. Eventually, Qualcomm would refuse to sell Apple chips for the iPhone XS and XR. While there were talks of settling the issue, the spat soon became a full-blown multibillion dollar legal battle.
Apple in turn moved away from Qualcomm and approached Intel for modem chips as it worked on its own in-house designs. Unfortunately, Intel would soon leave the 5G smartphone modem business, and Apple eventually purchased Intel’s modem division. It would still take Apple a few years to develop its own chip, and the company found itself approaching Qualcomm for its wares again, the two sides reaching an out-of-court settlement.
However, a new report suggests that it is actually a legal problem, one concerning patents. Rather than development issues, Apple needs to invalidate two Qualcomm patents. While Apple has tried, going so far as to get the Supreme Court involved, Apple is currently losing the fight.
According to Patently Apple, Apple may risk infringing on Qualcomm’s patents with its own 5G chip. It’s also been suggested that if Apple stepped forward with its own design, Qualcomm might be able to sue Apple and win.
While presently, Apple does still have Qualcomm patent licenses in place, the two sides are nowhere near ready to approach an agreement concerning adequate payments for renewing.
To top this off, July 27 saw Apple’s attempt to invalidate Qualcomm’s patent get thrown out in court, Apple the very next day scrapping plans to use its in-house 5G chip.
This remains a complicated situation, and Qualcomm may be holding all the cards where legality and patents are concerned. Apple, in turn, may have to pay Qualcomm the fee for the patents, and then finally be able to use its own 5G chips in its forthcoming devices.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via The Mac Observer, Patently Apple, and Foss Patents