Amidst the ongoing legal kerfuffle between Apple and Qualcomm, Apple may be eyeing a partnership with Taiwan’s MediaTek, which could supply baseband modem chipsets for iPhones beginning in 2018.
The story was first broken by DigiTimes, which has a hit-or-miss track record on stories such as these, but has landed some good scoops where iPhone components are concerned.
An anonymous source stated that MediaTek “has a chance” to secure modem orders from Apple. As of now, Apple has already transferred half of its iPhone modem chipsets from Qualcomm to Intel, following Apple’s lawsuit filed earlier this year, accusing Qualcomm of withholding nearly $1 billion in rebates.
It’s been noted that Apple’s three key principles for its suppliers are as follows:
Companies must offer leading technological competitiveness, they must have comprehensive product blueprints, and they need reliable logistic support.
It’s also been speculated that Apple has been interested in cooperating with MediaTek on products such as smart speakers and wireless charging devices. This interest would indicate that MediaTek could contribute to the HomePod and AirPower product lineups down the road.
In its dispute with Qualcomm, Apple claims the company withheld some $1 billion in royalty rebates in retaliation for cooperating with South Korean antitrust investigators. The ongoing issues could be rendered moot if Qualcomm is acquired by Broadcom, which has allegedly considered a hostile takeover priced at well over $100 billion.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.