It looks like Intel will continue providing 4G modems for Apple’s iPhones for the foreseeable future.
Intel, which recently announced that it would be exiting the 5G modem chipset business, said that it still plans to supply 4G modems through this year – likely including the 2019 iPhones.
During Intel’s Q1 2019 earnings call, CEO Bob Swan offered the following details, explaining that the second iteration of the company’s XMM 7660 modem is still on track for this year, with the company supplying a 4G product as expected:
“Our expectation is we will continue to deliver on the 4G modem throughout the course of this year, including the second iteration of that product coming in the fall back to school season.”
That being said, it’s expected that Intel will supply the modems for the 2019 model iPhones. It’s also too late for Apple to switch to Qualcomm as its modem provider for this year’s iPhone model.
Going forward, however, it seems all-but-certain that Apple will switch to Qualcomm when it comes to 5G modems in 2020. Apple is also developing its own in-house modems, but those efforts are likely several years down the road at this point. Intel announced earlier this month that it will exit the 5G smartphone modem business because there was “no clear path to profitability” for its efforts.
During Intel’s surprising announcement that the company would be exiting the 5G modem business, it promised to “meet current customer commitments for its existing 4G smartphone modem product line.” The question was whether that extended to new products as well.
Apple and Qualcomm’s settlement, announced last week, included a one-time payment from Apple to Qualcomm. The two parties also reached a six-year license agreement effective April 1, 2019, as well as a two-year chipset supply agreement.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.