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By Malcolm Owen
Thursday, 05 July 2018, 04:58 PT (07:58 ET)
Intel will not provide Apple with radio chips in a future iPhone version, a claims report, with the chips producer has stated to have stopped the development of parts that would have allowed 5G cellular communications on an upcoming version of Apple's smartphone.
Apple reportedly informed Intel of its decision not to use its modem in a next generation iPhone model, Intel internal communications and sources familiar with the subject advised CTech . It is thought that the decision affects the iPhones that will be launched in 2020, not those intended for the refresh of 2019.
Intel was working on a chipset called "Sunny Peak", combining a 5G modem with wireless radios. Fi and Bluetooth, which Intel produced while thinking of Apple. The company's executives apparently were waiting for Apple to be the "main volume driver" for the piece, but following Apple's notification, Intel redirected the attention of the team to other projects related to 5G.
Despite the lack of approval for Sunny Peak, Intel executives believe that the chip maker can still enhance the component, potentially for Apple devices launched in 2022.
On do not know why Apple chose not to use Sunny Peak speculate that it was the result of "several factors". The introduction of the WiGig Wi-Fi standard, which would have been part of Sunny Peak, is said by executives to bring "new and unexpected challenges" to mobile devices, and may have contributed to its downfall.
Although the report concerns the Sunny Peak project, this does not necessarily indicate that Intel is completely removed from the supply chain. Intel is currently providing modems to Apple alongside Qualcomm, but reports suggest that Apple is changing the distribution of the offer at 70:30 in favor of Intel for the 2018 refresh, with a view to "Away from Qualcomm modems completely by 2019.
As Apple is in an ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm on royalties, there are relatively few alternative options for Apple to move if she intends to support 5G in her future iPhones, apart from Intel. An option could be MediaTek, which recently unveiled a new 5G modem chipset and is supposed to try to provide Wi-Fi chips for the HomePod as a stepping stone to becoming an iPhone modem source.
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