All 2018 iPhones will use Intel LTE modems

In a report obtained by 9to5Mac, KGI Securities’ respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reveals Apple will drop Qualcomm baseband chips from future iPhones and source them exclusively from Intel. The move comes as legal action intensifies between Apple and Qualcomm with billions of dollars at stake.


While iPhones have used a mixture of Intel and Qualcomm chips for the last two generations, tests have consistently shown that Qualcomm-based iPhones deliver fast, more consistent 3G and 4G performance. In fact, Apple sources even claim the company had to deliberately throttle Qualcomm-based iPhones so Intel-based iPhones wouldn’t appear so slow.

As such even the latest iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X models ship with 4G modems which are potentially up to 40% slower than the one-gigabit modems seen in rivals like the Galaxy S8.

Kuo’s report is especially interesting given that some tests have shown that Qualcomm’s modems outperform those from Intel. That aside, Kuo adds that Qualcomm might be able to get back into Apple’s good graces by making concessions in their legal dispute, though it remains to be seen if Qualcomm would even be willing to entertain such an option. From what we’ve seen thus far, both Apple and Qualcomm have taken extremely strong and principled stances with respect to their dispute over royalty payments, with neither side indicating that they’d be willing to budge even an inch.

If Apple abandon Qualcomm, using an Intel LTE modem, would you buy an iPhone? Please tell us what you think.

Source: Caseme