Although an earlier report had suggested that Apple has no plans to settle things with Qualcomm outside of the court, the chip maker doesn’t seem to share the same hostility. In a recent interview, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said that his company is close to sorting out issues with Apple. For what it is worth, this might just be a PR stunt. The falling out of Apple with Qualcomm is still evident because the latter’s baseband modems are nowhere to be found on the 2018 iPhone models.
Despite the Legal Feud Between Qualcomm and Apple, the Two Companies Still Talk
The ongoing legal feud between the two companies began when Apple accused Qualcomm of charging high royalties for its chips, and it later exacerbated when the chip manufacturer accused the Cupertino giant of sharing its trade secrets with Intel. However, Mollenkopf has expressed his desire to see his company’s 5G tech in iPhones. In fact, the company has even given a timeline and says that the issues will be resolved by next year. Apparently, the two companies are still on talking terms despite their bitter legal spat.
Related Apple Faces Class Action Lawsuit for Failing to Include Dust Filters in iMacs and MacBooks, Leading to Performance Issues
Various reports have pointed out that Apple will be working with Intel on 5G modems. Earlier reports had suggested that Apple is not that happy with Intel and if that’s true, it might be in Apple’s best interest to respond to the olive branch extended by Qualcomm. Apple is usually late to adopt new wireless technologies. Although Verizon began rolling out LTE in 2010, it was not until 2012 that the first LTE-ready iPhone was released.
Apple usually waits for technologies to become more affordable and stable before going for them. However, given that the iPhone sales are declining, Apple might not want to delay 5G-ready smartphones for long, as most OEMs would be releasing their 5G-compatible devices next year.
For now, it remains to be seen if Apple and Qualcomm will put their disputes aside and work on a 5G-ready iPhone for 2019. Since 5G would be a cutting-edge technology next year, it will drive the prices of handsets up, and this could send the prices of the already expensive iPhones through the roof.
If you want to know more about Apple or 5G connectivity, you can check out more of our coverage given below.
- Intel Reportedly Spends $2 Billion Annually in Modem Development for Apple – Costs Expected to Increase With 5G Standard
- Apple Might Be Bringing in 5G-Capable iPhones in 2020 Because ATT Cautions on Slow Adoption Rate of the Standard
- What is 5G Connectivity? Here Is Everything You Want to Know About the Next Wireless Networking Standard
Source: CNBC
