Skylake processors aren’t the only new Intel tech Apple plans to use in 2016.
Starting with the iPhone 7, Apple may finally ditch Qualcomm modems in favor of a new chip from Intel which has pretty much missed out on the entire iPhone revolution.
Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf told investors during yesterday’s earnings call that the company is “assuming” a major customer plans to give all of its orders over to a rival. Analysts assume Mollenkopf is referring to Apple, which would be a huge loss for the company.
Intel has been rumored to have a small army working on a new modem destined for the iPhone 7. Apple’s longtime supplier, Qualcomm, has provide LTE modems on the iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6s, but Intel is pulling out all the stops to win Apple’s business. The company is even creating the chip in the same factory in Germany where Apple’s old supplier Infineon used to make the iPhone’s 3G modems.
The switch to Intel modems could mean faster LTE speeds for iPhone users, though it’s not clear how big the gains will be. The current LTE modem in the iPhone 6s has download speeds of 300Mbps, two times faster than the modem in the iPhone 6.
Despite losing out on being the iPhone 7’s modem supplier, Qualcomm’s CEO says the company will still deliver profits at predicted levels, however the price of Qualcomm shares have dipped as low as 2.5% since the reveal.
