Apple tries "aggressively" to poach Qualcomm engineers

Despite its fierce legal battle with Apple, Qualcomm was hoping that the iPhone maker would start using its modems in iPhones again. But that seems more and more unlikely. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg said that Apple was trying "aggressively" to tapping with Qualcomm's engineers, most likely to design radio chips for future iPhones. Apple has posted up to 10 job postings on its website for positions related to chip design.

Why Apple could be interested in Qualcomm's engineers

Gurman noted that all new positions are located in San Diego, in Qualcomm's yard. Apple started using Qualcomm modems in iPhones in 2011, but it also began buying modems from Intel in 2017. As the legal battle between Qualcomm and Apple intensified, the company Cupertino has completely abandoned Qualcomm and chose Intel as its exclusive supplier. Modems allow a smartphone to connect to cellular towers and support WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity.

This is the first time that Apple has "publicly recruited" for this type of role in San Diego, the Mecca of chip design. The location of the new positions suggests that Apple is clearly considering hiring Qualcomm engineers for these roles. So far, most of Apple's chip design efforts have been concentrated around the Cupertino headquarters. The job offers reveal that engineers will work on various chip components, including the Neural Engine's wireless chips and AI processor.

Apple already has chip design facilities in several places. Most of them are located near the campus of other major chip makers to exploit their talents. Since Intel modems are not as good as Qualcomm's, Apple has good reason to ask Qualcomm engineers to strengthen its internal chip design efforts. The Cupertino company has a strong and growing chip development arm.

It is unclear whether the iPhone maker has already opened an office in the Qualcomm yard to welcome new engineering talent. Apple could also place them in offices that it acquired by buying startups AI Emotient and Shazam. The company would hire engineers specializing in LTE, Bluetooth and new technologies such as millimeter wave (mmWave) and 5G connectivity.

Apple reduces its reliance on external chip manufacturers

Apple already uses its internal wireless chips in Apple Watch and AirPod watches, but it still relies on others for wireless modems in iPhones. The tech giant's attempt to hunt down Qualcomm's engineers is a strong sign of its desire to reduce its reliance on other chip makers. It already uses its own chips for specific functions such as security on Mac computers. According to rumors, Apple plans to replace Intel processors on Macs by 2020.

Relations between Apple and Qualcomm went bad when the iPhone maker sued Qualcomm for a billion dollars and accused it of charging unfair royalties for "technologies with which they have nothing to have". Since then, both companies have embarked on several lawsuits. Apple had stopped paying license fees to Qualcomm.

The chip maker was selling chips to Apple, but was also charging a fee for a license to use the technology. Apple has described this phenomenon as "double deduction". The Cupertino company was also not satisfied with the fact that Qualcomm charged license fees as a percentage of the cost of the iPhone.

Even though Apple is trying to hunt down Qualcomm's engineers, it will probably be using Intel modems for the next two years. Qualcomm has developed its first 5G Snapdragon X50 modem and has partnered with nearly 20 Android providers to launch 5G phones on the market next year. Intel's first 5G modem, the XMM 8060, had many problems, including overheating. We are now working on the second-generation XMM 8160, which will be available to smartphone manufacturers for testing in the second half of 2019.

The first phones equipped with the Intel 5G modem will only arrive in 2020. This means that we will see a lot of 5G Android phones next year, but Apple will not be able to launch the IPhone 5G before 2020. Operators in many countries, including the United States. will begin deploying 5G services in the first half of 2019.