Apple Renews Qualcomm Deal in Sign Its Own Modem Chip Isn't Ready (bloomberg.com) 26
Apple is extending an agreement to get modem semiconductors from Qualcomm for three more years, a sign that its ambitious effort to design the chips in-house is taking longer than expected. From a report: The new pact will cover "smartphone launches in 2024, 2025 and 2026," Qualcomm said in a statement Monday. The companies' agreement had been set to end this year, and the latest iPhone -- due on Tuesday -- was expected to be one of the last to rely on the Qualcomm modem chip. Instead, Qualcomm will maintain its lucrative position within Apple's supply chain. The iPhone maker is Qualcomm's largest customer -- accounting for nearly a quarter of revenue, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. And their relationship helps validate Qualcomm's claim to having the best smartphone modem, a critical component that allows devices to connect to the internet and make calls. Starting with the iPhone 12 generation, the chip has supported speedier 5G networks.
Harder than it looks (Score:5, Interesting)
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You're holding it wrong.
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I thought only a handful of companies worldwide had cross-licensed patients to build a 5g chip.
I'm not sure how Apple can thus build a modem from scratch without paying royalties to Qualcomm in which case they might as well continue the current arrangement indefinitely.
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had cross-licensed patients to build a 5g chip.
Us so-called "patients" are tired of being abused by these international companies. We're still waiting for our "embedded" 5G chips in our brain. And cross-licensing us??? That's just too much for us to take.
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Normally a company wouldn't care, but at Apple's volumes there's a considerable amount of money to be saved if you can develop your own chips and even more so if they can integrate all of it into a single chip.
At least Apple is holding
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Apple didn't create their modem division from scratch.
Apple bought the modem division from Intel. Intel bought it from Infineon. Infineon was the original modem chip provider for the original iPhone way back when, known for their ability to s
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Apple bought the technology from Intel. It was kinda crappy when Intel had it, and Apple ended up crippling the performance of Qualcomm chipsets so that all iPhones would behave the same way, regardless of which chip they had in them. Even so, I seem to recall that the Intel ones were still slower and worse at maintaining a connection.
I wonder what Apple's issue is. They apparently didn't care about having competitive 4G speeds back when it was an Intel modem. Are they now aiming to beat Qualcomm before rel
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Even so, I seem to recall that the Intel ones were still slower and worse at maintaining a connection.
The problem with the Apple/Intel chips was that they didn't work at low signal:noise ratios. They were roughly equivalent when working at high signal:noise ratios, so on benchmarks (done next to towers) they got roughly the same speeds. (Intel's modems were slightly slower, but not significantly.)
As soon as the signal:noise ratio started dropping, to levels you'd get in reality, Intel's modems fell off a cliff. The speeds would rapidly drop and Intel's modems entirely lost signal well before Qualcomm's did.
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Intel's chips in cable modems suck too when compared with the competition. Google "Puma 6 issue" for a nice deep rabbit hole of Intel suck and millions of consumers stuck with subpar equipment. Not a problem with Broadcom chips and an HFC plant is (in theory) a much more controlled RF environment than what a cell phone must contend with. If Intel's team couldn't even get that right.... :(
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but modulation and demodulation of analog, across multiple bands, with dozens of protocols is hard. Add in package size and power management and it is a really tall order.
Back in the 90s, I was studying electrical engineering and we called "Electricity and Magnetism" "S&M" because it was so hard. The people who could design antennas and (good) power supplies were practically considered wizards. I can't imagine it's any easier.
I'm fairly critical of Apple, but at least they're not rushing forward with something that's only half-baked on this one.
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Any idiot can design an efficient antenna for a given wavelength. Radio might be rocket science bordering on magic but the basic concepts are well known and have been studied for over a century.
The hard part is accommodating the disparate frequencies used by cell phones (600 - 5200MHz in the US, not inclusive of mmWave) AND cramming the antenna(s) into a handheld device, or one that's even smaller (e.g., smartwatch). This would be hard without every OEM (not just Apple) prioritizing form over function.
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Apple is good at a lot of things, but modulation and demodulation of analog, across multiple bands, with dozens of protocols is hard. Add in package size and power management and it is a really tall order.
Remember, these are probably still largely based on the Intel designs Apple inherited.
The problem with that is the simple fact that Intel MODEMs have historically been slower than Qualcomm's, as evidenced in the iPhone models that used Intel as an Alternate Source for Qualcomm.
Kudos to Apple for choosing performance and customer satisfaction over a longstanding desire to rid themselves of a sometimes troublesome, and always greedy, Vendor!
Can't wait for Apple's first modem chip (Score:3, Funny)
Misunderstanding (Score:4, Insightful)
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They donâ(TM)t have to be technically successful right out the gate but maintain enough credibility to keep Qualcomm in line
Which right now they haven't achieved in the slightest. If anything this is a huge fuckup for them as it looks like they were woefully incompetent in modem design and are crawling back to the big-bad they were trying to get away from.
Software is easier to change (Score:2)
Hardware design is a bitch because you have to try to anticipate future needs so you're not wasting money redesigning it every year.
Doesn't mean Apple's won't be ready (Score:2, Insightful)
This doesn't mean that Apple's chips won't be ready. It might mean that they won't be able to make enough of them.
Except (Score:4, Insightful)
The Apple baseband division is the same one they purchased from Intel in 2019, after Intel had failed to make a decent 5G (or 4G for that matter) modem chip for some years.
I'm not sure that another three years is going to help...
Apple's ARM (Score:2)
With it's ARM held high, Apple lowers the finger directed at Qualcomm and shakes it's fist instead.
Ummmm. (Score:2)
FTFY?
They could buy from ... (Score:2)