Apple reportedly aims to integrate own 5G modem in iPhone by 2022
Apple has reportedly set an aggressive 2022 deadline to develop an in-house cellular modem for use in iPhone and iPad, a project that could lead to baseband module integration in the company's system-on-chip designs by 2023.
Intel's XMM 8160 5G modem.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, a Fast Company report on Thursday said Apple aims to have its 5G modem ready by 2022, a bold timeline considering the amount of development and testing required to roll out such sophisticated -- and heavily regulated -- hardware.
Following internal development, Apple needs to secure the necessary certifications from governments around the world, a time consuming process that puts the 2022 deadline in question. Apple will need to optimize its 5G modem for worldwide use, ensure compliance with global standards and successfully navigate testing from governmental bodies like the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the report said.
While Apple boasts a seasoned modem development team, quickly sourced in part from Qualcomm and Intel, the company faces an uphill battle to reach its heady 2022 objective. According to Fast Company's source, 2023 is a more realistic goal, but Apple endeavors to complete the project in two years.
Previous reports, which also cite anonymous inside sources, have over the past year pinned a variety of deadlines on Apple's modem project, with end dates ranging from 2021 to as far out as 2025. A prediction from noted TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, shared in June, closely aligns with today's report and estimates Apple to have a functioning chip by 2020 ahead of wide integration in iPhone in 2022 or 2023.
Rumors of the tech giant's interest in modem technology date back to 2014, but more recent reports suggest Apple solidified plans for its modem team as it battled Qualcomm in court. Apple sued the chipmaker in 2017 over patent licensing fees, an action sparking a worldwide legal scrum that was only recently settled in April.
Initially, iPhone's cellular communications suite was powered by modems built by Infineon. Apple later made the switch to Qualcomm, which exclusively supplied baseband hardware for iPhone and iPad until Intel entered the scene in 2016 with a share of iPhone 7 parts orders. After splitting orders with Qualcomm in 2017, Intel became Apple's sole iPhone modem supplier with 2018's iPhone XR and XS.
Apple was rumored to be working with Intel on a future integration of the chipmaker's XMM 8160 modem, 5G-capable silicon initially expected to debut in the second half of 2019. The tech giant grew increasingly skeptical of Intel's ability to deliver a working chip on schedule, however, which reportedly prompted efforts to build an in-house modem.
In April, Apple and Qualcomm reached a surprise settlement that involves a multi-year chip deal, meaning Qualcomm silicon will power the first 5G iPhones. Following word of the settlement, Intel announced plans to exit the smartphone modem industry.
Apple later purchased patents and key personnel from Intel's now-defunct smartphone modem arm in a deal estimated to be worth $1 billion. Those assets will likely serve as the basis of Apple's modem design, today's report said.
Fast Company also notes Apple's partnership with Intel was in part predicated on a future goal of integrating the modem into its A-series system-on-chip designs. A comprehensive SoC solution would package the cellular baseband chip in with main system modules like a processor, GPU, power management unit and, with Apple's latest designs, machine learning core.
Apple appears primed to move toward an all-in-one solution. According to the source, 5G modem development is likely led by Esin Terzioglu, an RF specialist who worked as Qualcomm's VP of Engineering until he was hired away in 2017. Terzioglu's current title at Apple is "wireless SoC lead."
The move to full SoC integration is expected to follow delivery of a standalone chip, the source said, suggesting Apple will produce a 5G modem in 2022 and an A-series variant in 2023.
Intel's XMM 8160 5G modem.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, a Fast Company report on Thursday said Apple aims to have its 5G modem ready by 2022, a bold timeline considering the amount of development and testing required to roll out such sophisticated -- and heavily regulated -- hardware.
Following internal development, Apple needs to secure the necessary certifications from governments around the world, a time consuming process that puts the 2022 deadline in question. Apple will need to optimize its 5G modem for worldwide use, ensure compliance with global standards and successfully navigate testing from governmental bodies like the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the report said.
While Apple boasts a seasoned modem development team, quickly sourced in part from Qualcomm and Intel, the company faces an uphill battle to reach its heady 2022 objective. According to Fast Company's source, 2023 is a more realistic goal, but Apple endeavors to complete the project in two years.
Previous reports, which also cite anonymous inside sources, have over the past year pinned a variety of deadlines on Apple's modem project, with end dates ranging from 2021 to as far out as 2025. A prediction from noted TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, shared in June, closely aligns with today's report and estimates Apple to have a functioning chip by 2020 ahead of wide integration in iPhone in 2022 or 2023.
Rumors of the tech giant's interest in modem technology date back to 2014, but more recent reports suggest Apple solidified plans for its modem team as it battled Qualcomm in court. Apple sued the chipmaker in 2017 over patent licensing fees, an action sparking a worldwide legal scrum that was only recently settled in April.
Initially, iPhone's cellular communications suite was powered by modems built by Infineon. Apple later made the switch to Qualcomm, which exclusively supplied baseband hardware for iPhone and iPad until Intel entered the scene in 2016 with a share of iPhone 7 parts orders. After splitting orders with Qualcomm in 2017, Intel became Apple's sole iPhone modem supplier with 2018's iPhone XR and XS.
Apple was rumored to be working with Intel on a future integration of the chipmaker's XMM 8160 modem, 5G-capable silicon initially expected to debut in the second half of 2019. The tech giant grew increasingly skeptical of Intel's ability to deliver a working chip on schedule, however, which reportedly prompted efforts to build an in-house modem.
In April, Apple and Qualcomm reached a surprise settlement that involves a multi-year chip deal, meaning Qualcomm silicon will power the first 5G iPhones. Following word of the settlement, Intel announced plans to exit the smartphone modem industry.
Apple later purchased patents and key personnel from Intel's now-defunct smartphone modem arm in a deal estimated to be worth $1 billion. Those assets will likely serve as the basis of Apple's modem design, today's report said.
Fast Company also notes Apple's partnership with Intel was in part predicated on a future goal of integrating the modem into its A-series system-on-chip designs. A comprehensive SoC solution would package the cellular baseband chip in with main system modules like a processor, GPU, power management unit and, with Apple's latest designs, machine learning core.
Apple appears primed to move toward an all-in-one solution. According to the source, 5G modem development is likely led by Esin Terzioglu, an RF specialist who worked as Qualcomm's VP of Engineering until he was hired away in 2017. Terzioglu's current title at Apple is "wireless SoC lead."
The move to full SoC integration is expected to follow delivery of a standalone chip, the source said, suggesting Apple will produce a 5G modem in 2022 and an A-series variant in 2023.
Comments
2022 seems overly optimistic...
At this rate they could end up around three years late to market and going up against competing third or fourth generation integrated modems, but from a consumer perspective, performance isn't really that big of an issue (borne out by the intel experience) as long as the core technology is in the phone. Be it an on SoC Apple designed 5G multimode modem or a QC part which isn't on the SoC.
They will also have to make sure that the corresponding antennas do a great job too because antenna performance is important the user experience although most don't give it a second thought when buying a phone.
That's why the Mate 30 Pro 5G has 21 bleeding edge antennas in it. 14 alone for 5G, and antennas will be increasingly important as the industry moves to 5G.
A 5G Antenna white paper was officially released just two days ago at the Global Antenna Technology & Industry Forum held in Amsterdam.
https://www.huawei.com/ch-en/press-events/news/2019/10/huawei-5g-antenna-whitepaper
Lots of focus on success in the C band and AI and beam forming. A new commercially deployed 5G milestone was hit recently in Switzerland:
https://www.totaltele.com/503980/Sunrise-and-Huawei-hit-367Gbps-in-Swiss-5G-speed-tests
It won't be easy in the time frame suggested here but I think designing an in-house modem makes sense in the long run.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded-revolution/qualcomm-add-5g-modems-more-affordable-socs
Long before Apple gets its 5G QC modem onto the market, competitors will be flooding it with non flagship 5G products.
Rumours claim Huawei already has its 5nm Kirin 1000 in trial production and it is probable that a third generation Balong 5G chip will be on it.
Samsung and Mediatek also have their own efforts rolling out.
http://www.loosewireblog.com/2019/10/5gs-achilles-heel-heat.html?utm_source=Tech&utm_campaign=df736e4c71-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_10_11_08_25&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_485e9e3d67-df736e4c71-319002265
"5G phones get hot. Really hot. Probably not hot enough to ignite your battery (probably), but enough to generate a definite burning sensation in your pants pockets. At Mobile World Congress in February, we spoke with an engineer from Sony who was demo’ing a phone (behind glass) that was clocking 1 Gbps speeds. Wow, fast. We asked the engineer why it was not going faster and he said “It overheats.” A good solid answer, from a nuts-and-bolts-and-antenna person. We will wager any amount that at next year’s show, no one on the floor will be as open about this problem."
It's an even greater problem with mmwave.
Apple will have the Qualcomm modem next year, so an integration two years later into the SOC isn't an issue in the market.
Love the cute little anti-Apple jabs. Remember Apple was 20 years late to the cell phone market and analysts claimed there was no way they would dethrone Motorola, Nokia and Blackberry.
Where are they now?
When Apple innovates they do it RIGHT. They can release a half-assed modem tomorrow just to make make morons think they're "first" or something stupid (think Samsung) but they have a bigger picture in mind.
Same reason they started late with Maps. They didn't know Qualcomm would be abusive partners.
And to be honest they couldn't release a half assed modem tomorrow either. It has to go through long certification. That's how far behind they are and why an on SoC effort seems to be so far off.
Heat is always a concern and each new generation brings news challenges. However, if heat were such an issue, it simply wouldn't be on the SoC. Neither would the non SoC versions have 3GB of memory stacked on the modem!
As for mmWave:
"Like Samsung’s Exynos chip, the 5G version of the Kirin 990 doesn’t support mmWave 5G. The company said that it chose to omit the technology because it’s mainly used in the US, where Huawei doesn’t currently sell its devices. Instead it will focus its attention on the sub-6GHz variant of 5G, which is more widely used across the rest of the world."
https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/6/20852406/huawei-kirin-990-5g-modem-chipset-specs-features
Expect the Xerox machines to work overtime in China to copy Apple, yet again.
That's actually what innovation looks like.
My perspective was regarding board space and the amount of transistors in the SoC they wanted to use. The modems are about the 3rd largest chip package on the board, behind the SoC and NAND packages. Taking the modem chip and integrating it into the SoC is a net savings on cost and board space. Maybe the net savings weren’t really that big. Well, maybe the 4th largest if you consider the SIM and SIM slot a package.
Nothing changed. People didn't see the performance when everything was already fast.
One camera, two cameras, three cameras. People won't see the difference because the features are already available and have been available for years.
Almost two years ago (and even one month ago!) when the the iPhone was producing black images against the competition's night modes, the difference was dramatic.
Apple is catching up, and not having a 5G phone is just another example.
History will repeat itself. Not long ago people here were saying night mode wasn't of real note. It was 'meh!'. Now they rave about it. Now people say 5G only offers a speed increase over a system that already gives then enough speed. Mark my words. When Apple gets on the 5G train, people will rave about it too.
By then 5G will be on most new phones and outsiders will scratch their heads asking what the fuss is about when their mid range phones have had it for months and Apple's affordable phones chug along without 5G.
The same thing happened with battery life and charging.
As for looks. The design is ugly and no amount of spin and squinting (or alcohol!) will change that.