Apple has considered buying in what would be one of the iPhone manufacturer’s largest acquisitions ever, Intel’s smartphone modem business.
“In light of the announcement of Apple and Qualcomm, we assessed the prospects for us to make money while delivering this technology for smartphones and concluded at the time that we just didn’t see a path,” said Bob Swan in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Intel has explained that it surrendered from the mobile 5G marketplace earlier this month, and we understand why: according to CEO Bob Swan, the firm had concluded that there wasn’t any cash income in the business after Apple and Qualcomm settled their ongoing conflict; A settlement which meant Qualcomm would provide modems to Apple once again.
Intel stated earlier this month it had been exiting the 5G smartphone business(https://www.macrumors.com/2019/04/16/intel-exits-5g-smartphone-modem-business/), just hours after Apple and Qualcomm announced a settlement for their legal issues and a new supply deal.
A multibillion-dollar acquisition could be one of Apple’s most extensive (the existing record for the firm is its own $3 billion Beats takeover) and could have significant consequences for the iPhone. Apple was working on its own chips for a while, but earning engineers and Intel’s patents could help them accelerate their programs. It might also help insulate Apple in the event of another legal dispute or other distribution issues.
Intel has stated that it will continue to provide 4G LTE chips to match existing orders, meaning that Apple’s 2019 iPhone lineup will likely continue to use Intel chips rather than Qualcomm chips. It’s too late in the design cycle for Apple to swap processors for this year’s forthcoming devices.