The long-running dispute between chip manufacturer Qualcomm and Apple has now officially ended – both companies announced this in a press release known.
Now that the dispute has been settled and an agreement has been reached, nothing stands in the way of the 5G modem for iPhones. According to a recent report from Nikkei, both companies have been working towards the agreement for several weeks - during this time the 5G modem has already been extensively tested by Apple and other partners. Despite all efforts, Apple will not be able to integrate the chip manufacturer's new modem into this year's iPhone. The deadline for integration, both in terms of hardware and software, has most likely long since passed. "It's too late for Apple to use Qualcomm's chips this year - but modems, including 5G chips, are planned for all Qualcomm iPhones in 2020" – said an anonymous source.
Dependent on Qualcomm hardware
Now that an agreement has been reached, Apple can use Qualcomm's 5G technology without hesitation. Previously, Apple's two-year legal battle with the chipmaker limited its options to Intel, whose 5G modem was allegedly crippled by delays. A report from early April suggested that Apple had lost confidence in Intel's ability to deliver the chip on time - the loss of confidence can be traced back to several missed development deadlines. Apple's search for a reliable 5G modem supplier has been documented in detail in recent months - this shows how much Apple actually depends on Qualcomm's technology. How long Apple will actually be dependent on Qualcomm hardware remains unknown for the time being. The iPhone manufacturer is in the process of developing its own 5G chips for use in future iPhone models. According to the latest speculation, the first iPhone with Apple's own modem will not roll off the production line before 2021.
