Intel accelerates the deployment of the 5G modem, but will not bring the iPhone 5G sooner



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Intel has announced that the launch of its 5G modem, the XMM 8160, has been accelerated by an impressive six months. This multimode modem (supporting 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G technologies) can reach a speed of 6 gigabits per second and supports most of the exciting new technologies expected in the first wave of 5G mobile products. This means support for millimeter waves, autonomous and non-autonomous modes, as well as simultaneous connections to 4G and 5G networks.

intel xmm modem 8160 2 Intel

The Intel XM 8160 modem will connect to 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks. It means fewer chips and it's basically a requirement for products like the iPhone.

This is the modem expected by most technology analysts in the first iPhone 5G. Apple has opted for exclusive use of Intel modems with this year's iPhones (the iPhone XS and the XR both use the Intel XMM 7560 modem). It is generally expected that the company will stay with Intel in 2019 and 2020. And now, the Intel 5G modem available sooner.

No, that does not mean that there will be an iPhone 5G in 2019.

Many breathtaking reports are circulating that this acceleration of deployment means we could see a 5G-compatible iPhone in 2019. That's very unlikely. This particular acceleration of the availability of 5G will affect some other phones, but probably not those of Apple.

All the information you need to know is in Intel's press release:

When can I get it: The Intel XMM 8160 5G Modem is expected to be released in the second half of 2019. Commercial devices using the Intel XMM 8160 5G Modem, including phones, computers, and broadband access gateways, should be available in the near future. the first half of 2020.

If manufacturers (like Apple) will have the modem in the second half of 2019 (after the accelerated deployment of Intel), it will certainly not be shipped in an iPhone in September of the same year!

Integration and testing of new modem hardware takes months, and with next-generation cellular technology (especially a technology as complex as 5G), this calendar explodes. Throughout 2019, 5G will appear mainly in higher powered devices, such as fixed residential broadband or perhaps some big Android phones with huge batteries. The type of low power consumption, tight integration and reliability needed for the iPhone (and most leading Android phones) will just not be ready in 2019. At least, not with the Intel XMM 8160 modem.

intel xmm modem 8160 3 Intel

The XMM 8160 is small, but it must be paired with two radio transceivers: one for bands below 6 GHz, one for millimeter waves.

Increasing the availability of six months seems exciting, but as iPhones are marketed between September and October, it does not really impact. The old Intel calendar announced commercial availability in the first half of 2020 and products on the shelves during the second half of 2020. It's just in time for the launch of the 2020 iPhone, if we leave from the reasonable premise that Apple is doing a lot of work before. time with Intel and other partners to test 5G technology.

Moving forward six months does not change anything unless Apple suddenly changes its entire hardware deployment schedule and launches a new iPhone in the spring of 2020. Intel is expected to accelerate the launch of the XMM 7560 in a comprehensive manner. year in order to get it inside the 2019 iPhone.

So take a breath, fans of the iPhone. I know that the prospect of a 5G iPhone is alluring, but it certainly will not be delivered yet until the autumn of 2020. Apple is almost never the first to adopt cell technology at the cutting edge of technology. 5G is still very much in the testing phase.

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