Johny Srouji, Apple, was rumored to be the new CEO of Intel. Instead, he started working on a modem for Apple.
Using Intel is a temporary solution, as Apple always wants to have its own things and it has been rumored to be working on a modem for some time.
Huawei has built one, Samsung also has its own, and Apple is the only one of the big three that doesn't have its own modem. Xiaomi and Oppo, which also make the top five tech companies, still buy modems and technology from Qualcomm.
The fact that Johnny is taking over modem development from Rubén Caballeromeans that the company needs to step up its game and that the previous one hadn't done the job he should have.
5G will be difficult for Apple
The fact that Apple has not committed to working with Qualcomm on its 2018 modems, and the fact that its 5G technology must come from Intel, is a strong indication that Apple will be late to the 5G game. It is clear that most of the leading Android manufacturers will start their 5G journey during 2019, while Apple will at best be able to launch its 5G network in September 2020. Intel has admitted that it is lagging behind Qualcomm, and it seems that Qualcomm may introduce 5G much ahead of Intel. Since Apple does not have Qualcomm 5G source code – at least not the latest – it will definitely slow down its development.
Apple usually launches some big tech inside its phones, but modems are much more difficult than anything else it has designed for a phone. It takes decades of investment and research to get to the point where it can introduce such technology. The fact that 5G is a new beginning and that Apple has to use some 5G mmWave antennas also doesn't help. Qualcomm has proven that its design works and will be announced by multiple partners that support mmWave frequencies.
It might take years
Needless to say, it's unclear whether Apple can catch up with the competition. Samsung, which has its own pretty good modem, is still using Qualcomm for 5G in the U.S. Huawei wants to stick with its own technology.
This will be a tough road, but Apple has enough loyal fans that they will definitely buy its modems. Even if they are not perfect.
The real question is when, not if, this modem will be released. After all, Apple worked with its own graphics and it took a few years for them to be officially revealed and introduced.
