Apple Moving From Intel's Infineon to Qualcomm for Next-Generation iPhone Cellular Chip?
Unwired View reports on an article [Google translation] in the China Times claiming that Apple is planning to ditch Infineon's solutions in favor of ones from Qualcomm for use in the fifth-generation iPhone.
Up until now, the baseband chip supplier for the iPhones and the iPad 3G has been Infineon, a company recently acquired by Intel for a boatload of cash. And the fact that they were Apple's supplier has to have had some impact on the size of that pile of cash.
Well, that may have been money better spent on something else, since it seems that the baseband chips for the iPhone 5 will come from Qualcomm, not Infineon. Apple will continue to design the application processor themselves (like they did with the A4 inside the iPad, iPhone 4 and the newest iPod Touch).
Consequently, speculation is naturally drifting toward Apple making the full changeover to Qualcomm if that company can also supply acceptable GSM chips, or perhaps even a single hybrid chip capable of supporting both standards.
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19 months ago
Is there any speculation that this could be connected to Apple's possible upcoming implementation of CDMA?
19 months ago
So this is a round about way of creating another "iPhone to Verizon" thread?:D
19 months ago
I suspect that Apple will accept nothing less than a cellular chipset that does both CDMA and GSM.
19 months ago
Since it says "Qualcomm is most-widely known for its development of CDMA technology such as that used by Verizon and Sprint" and this is the "next" iPhone does that just mean the next one to come out will be CDMA and use a qualcomm chips, whilst the phones that work on 3G already will use Infineon and be sold simulltaneously?
Or do Qualcomm chips support both CDMA and the current 3G and there would only ever be one version of iPhone, just that it'd work on both?
Or do Qualcomm chips support both CDMA and the current 3G and there would only ever be one version of iPhone, just that it'd work on both?
19 months ago
Either way you look at it, this is nothing but rumor and speculation.
It's almost obvious that Apple would need to acquire a source for CDMA chips for a Verizon iPhone, and Qualcomm is the most obvious choice; however, this doesn't mean that Apple would necessarily have to abandon the Infineon chip in the process. I find it highly unlikely that Apple would fully abandon one standard for the other when the iPhone is doing so well where it is.
On the other hand, if Qualcomm can offer chips for both standards, then it could become a matter of economics where by buying both cellular standards from one source, Apple saves money on each of them.
It's almost obvious that Apple would need to acquire a source for CDMA chips for a Verizon iPhone, and Qualcomm is the most obvious choice; however, this doesn't mean that Apple would necessarily have to abandon the Infineon chip in the process. I find it highly unlikely that Apple would fully abandon one standard for the other when the iPhone is doing so well where it is.
On the other hand, if Qualcomm can offer chips for both standards, then it could become a matter of economics where by buying both cellular standards from one source, Apple saves money on each of them.
19 months ago
Writer didn't know what he is talking about. Qualcomm is also the premier supplier of HSPA chips in the world. iPhone would get waaay better reception for AT&T with Qualcomm vs. Infineon chips.
19 months ago
Ok let's stop this right here, right now.
Yes, Qualcomm was the driving force behind CDMA.
However, they have their hands all up in UMTS and LTE as well.
There. Don't read anything more to this than what's on the surface.
EDIT: And for christ's sake... can we get a writer for page one stories that knows SOMETHING about cellular technology?
"Consequently, speculation is naturally drifting toward Apple making the full changeover to Qualcomm if that company can also supply acceptable GSM chips, or perhaps even a single hybrid chip capable of supporting both standards."
The MSM6500, available in the middle of 2003, was a Qualcomm chip that did (does) both CDMA and GSM. They've done plenty more since then.
Yes, Qualcomm was the driving force behind CDMA.
However, they have their hands all up in UMTS and LTE as well.
There. Don't read anything more to this than what's on the surface.
EDIT: And for christ's sake... can we get a writer for page one stories that knows SOMETHING about cellular technology?
"Consequently, speculation is naturally drifting toward Apple making the full changeover to Qualcomm if that company can also supply acceptable GSM chips, or perhaps even a single hybrid chip capable of supporting both standards."
The MSM6500, available in the middle of 2003, was a Qualcomm chip that did (does) both CDMA and GSM. They've done plenty more since then.
19 months ago
I suspect that Apple will accept nothing less than a cellular chipset that does both CDMA and GSM.
Unless it costs more.
Also, I wonder if this is the real reason we heard that Qualcomm is looking to higher Apple-aware engineers? We assumed it was becasue Apple was coming out with a Verizon phone but perhaps it was just because they knew that Apple was switching to them for GSM chips?
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