According to VentureBeat, Intel currently has a “massive” team working to supply the modems for Apple’s next iPhone.
Right now, Apple uses Qualcomm’s 9X45 LTE chips, which appear in all current iPhones.
However, Intel is allegedly attempting to strike a deal that will see its 7360 LTE modem chip featured in the Apple iPhone 7.
The Intel 7360 modem is due to start shipping at the end of the year and, as such, will begin appearing in devices in 2016.
The report claims that Apple hasn’t officially signed Intel as its modem chip supplier, but that a deal “will happen” if the company continues to hit targets.
It goes on to suggest that Intel is doubly keen to win Apple over, because there’s a chance that it could eventually help build the system-on-a-chip used in future iphones.
It’s claimed that Apple eventually wants to create an SoC that includes the company’s AX processor combined with an LTE modem chip.
This SoC would be designed by Apple, and would be branded with Apple’s name.
A source cited in the report said that Apple would “licence the LTE modem intellectual property from Intel” for the chipset.
It’s alleged that the ideal eventual outcome would be Intel fabricating the chips using its 14nm manufacturing process.
However, Apple designers would manage the design of the chipset “from top to bottom”.
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Samsung and TSMC currently share the fabrication of the A9 SoC, which is featured in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
Both manufacturers are capable of fabricating chips using 14nm processes, but it’s reported that Apple is especially keen to utilise Intel’s upcoming 10nm manufacturing process.
If Intel wins both modem and SoC production from Apple, it will take a serious bite out of the revenue of Samsung, Qualcomm, and TSMC.
Would you like to see Intel become a more dominant player in the mobile chip market? Let us know in the comments.
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