Intel’s long-held dream to integrate with the iPhone seems to have come true, at least partly. The chip maker’s new high-performance 7360 modem chip will replace Qualcomm chips in the upcoming Apple smartphone, says a report from VentureBeat.
Phone makers impressed with Intel chips
Apple iPhones with the 7360 modem will be offered for sale next year in the growing markets of Asia and Latin America, according to the report.
Being fast and power efficient, Intel’s recent innovation has created a buzz among the phone makers, as told by industry analysts to VentureBeat. Having already been noticed by the mobile industry, the newly designed fast wireless modem chip adequately assists Category 9/10 LTE and 3X carrier, and efficiently delivers 450 megabytes per second of download speed. In addition, LTE chips also possess high-level of unification with Apple’s A(x) processor, says the report, citing a knowlegeable source.
Currently, Intel’s LTE chip is being developed in the company’s research and development facility in Munich, which was Infineon’s communications chip business before the chip maker took it over in 2010. According to the report, Infineon, at one time produced 3G modem chips for the iPhone at the same facility. However, shortly after its acquisition by Intel, Apple stopped buying the chips from Infineon.
Will Intel replace Qualcomm in new iPhone?
Most of the previous mobile efforts from Intel have been put in building modems (the 7160 and 7260) and systems on a chip-namely the SoFia SOC-for mid-priced phones, most of which were sold in the emerging markets. Now, the achievement of getting its chip embedded in the well-known iPhone is surely going to better its reputation in the smartphone market, at least on par with leader Qualcomm.
Qualcomm has long been a lead player in the mobile chip industry, and has aided generations of iPhones with its products, but now Intel offering a better substitute seems to have given Apple the luxury of choice. Due to a recent spat between Apple and Qualcomm, the chances of Intel establishing a stronger relationship with Apple seems fairly viable, says the report.
However, there is a chance that the Apple-Intel deal could still go awry if the latter failed to deliver by key deadlines. But considering the opportunity that this deal brings, Intel is expected to go all in to deliver its best.
