A chip in all new devices that allows you to pay a monthly fee to have all your iCloud devices connected online. iPads, Airpods, Homepod, Glasses, Watch.
That's exactly what we don't want. Subscriptions for this, for that, for everything....
Please search for "subscription overload" and you will see what I mean.
How much of YOUR disposable income is wasted used on paying for subscriptions eh?
Imagine your Apple TV, Glasses, Macs, Car, iPad all connected to the fastest network in the world seamlessly and communicating. Like we said, I doubt Apple will just slap the modem into iPhones and call it a day. There's more coming.
And all with a government mandated back door just in case you are a criminal and are planning something bad.
The more disconnected our systems are the harder it is for 'the man' as well as the likes of Google and FaceBook to get hold of what is basically our lives because of our reliance on that 'connectedness'.
Oh, and don't forget the identity thieves. They'll have a much easier job in your 'connected' utopia.
It doesn't except that Apple will almost certainly not be renewing its present agreement. It will either let it expire or perhaps keep Qualcomm around as a "b" supplier.
Perhaps an interesting application will not be in smart-er-phones, but Fast moving large vehicles - cars, autonomous cars, buses, subway systems, maybe even aircraft? If 5G rollout really can achieve scale, bandwidth, and range, or somehow is satellite based, thinking beyond the smartphone could make a lot of sense.
Of course, there's just the old mundane office deployment, meaning no more ethernet wires, or the connected home and myriad devices, and way improved HomePods, Apple TV, etc. without direct wiring. AR connected via 5G is the promised union that makes sense.
Just some thoughts.
Imagine your Apple TV, Glasses, Macs, Car, iPad all connected to the fastest network in the world seamlessly and communicating. Like we said, I doubt Apple will just slap the modem into iPhones and call it a day. There's more coming.
And all with a government mandated back door just in case you are a criminal and are planning something bad.
The more disconnected our systems are the harder it is for 'the man' as well as the likes of Google and FaceBook to get hold of what is basically our lives because of our reliance on that 'connectedness'.
Oh, and don't forget the identity thieves. They'll have a much easier job in your 'connected' utopia.
I laughed when I read that but in a positive way.
We are going through change at a very fast pace but for an oldie like me who has no real issues with technology, I'm still glad I didn't have that 'connectedness' when I was younger nor any of the major problems that having your life 'recorded' can bring you later in life.
We still have a long way to go before we can become 'invisible' again (only possible through legislation) but by then the newer generations might have simply accepted being 'visible' as normal and they are the ones who will end up proposing and passing legislation.
Clearly governments have an interest in letting things move along quickly without intervening too much (unless it is to 'protect us' with the master keys to our digital houses) and they are itching for cash transactions to disappear so they can literally track everything do on a financial level.
We can only hope that 'healthy" legislation is passed, cross our fingers and hope that at some point technology reaches a point where Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant etc can process our non-internet requests in an air gapped environment and 'learn' and then store what they learn about us - locally.
Have those Nortel patents for LTE that Apple bought amounted to anything yet? I ask because I wonder if this is about Apple investing in their cellular radios or using it as a investment to stave off future patent trolls.
Gruber points out that the executive quoted in Apple's Press Release is Johny Srouji, senior vice president of Hardware Technologies.
This is not about patent trolling. They intend to build this stuff.
Perhaps a simpler answer is that Apple are well on their way and buying this division simply clears the air of patent clouds. They may not even need the engineering expertise. Ie it’s litigation insurance.
It’s difficult to keep engineers from acquisitions. Many may stay, and many may leave.
I think the reason to keep engineers is more preventing them from losing a job than keeping them as assets. Under the job guarantee Apple offers they may choose whatever carrier path they want.
Are you suggesting Apple's focus is on maintaining jobs, and not engineers as valuable assets? It's the opposite. Apple isn't running a government job creation program, so if those employees don't provide value, they will be released to do something else. It's not to be heartless, it's just how a successful business needs to operate generally, or you won't be in business for long and everyone will be out of a job.
It's generally being profiled as Intel being in a horrible negotiating position and nearly forced to accept the first even low-ball offer to come along. Apple certainly low-balled 'em since it was presumed the IP alone was worth more than that even ignoring the engineering talent they get from Intel.
Great deal for Apple, not so much for Intel even tho they might see a $500 Million savings this year alone by agreeing so quickly. No assurance a significantly better offer was around the corner making it worth waiting.
I think this article left out a lot of important details. As written, it doesn’t make sense, but reading the comments here I take it that Apple is buying Intel’s 5G patent portfolio and also acquiring the engineering staff working on 5G technology but Intel retains the rights to use the associated 5G tech with computers and bother non-smartphone applications. Is that the gist of it?
Sounds like a good buy for Apple, and will hopefully lessen their dependence on Qualcomm. Of course, it also means there will be plenty of fresh lawsuits by QC claiming Apple is infringing on their patents. I’m sure Apple has factored legal costs into its budget...
Seems like a good move to me. Both reduced dependence on Qualcomm, and increased competition.
How is this competition? I doubt Apple is going to sell their modems to any other company.
Pretty simple. Apple is one of Qualcomm’s largest customers (or were). If Apple begins production, or threatens to begin production, Qualcomm potentially loses that large customer. Apple would be competing against Qualcomm for their own business. If Apple then believes their own modem is as good as, or better than Qualcomm’s, the modem division of Apple is competing with Qualcomm for the iPhone and iPad divisions for that business.
thats a rather normal thing that goes on in organizations that are somewhat vertically organized, as Apple is. Apple, the corporate parent, has more concerns than just modems. If they can’t compete with Qualcomm, and they believe sales will suffer as a result, they won’t produce them, and Qualcomm has their business. If they can compete, Qualcomm loses their business. so Apple’s modem division is competing with Qualcomm for Apple’s modem business
Is Apple one step closer to being a monopoly?!? As for Qualcomm, it will take Apple at least 2 years to catch up to Qualcomm's level but much closer now than before. Will be interesting to see how long it takes Apple to dev its own competing modem.
The intel press release merely states their intention to "exit the 5G modem business".
Nowhere is the division called "defunct", nor is it actually defunct. It is functional and populated with employees working at stuff. It's just no longer run by intel.
Comments
We are going through change at a very fast pace but for an oldie like me who has no real issues with technology, I'm still glad I didn't have that 'connectedness' when I was younger nor any of the major problems that having your life 'recorded' can bring you later in life.
We still have a long way to go before we can become 'invisible' again (only possible through legislation) but by then the newer generations might have simply accepted being 'visible' as normal and they are the ones who will end up proposing and passing legislation.
Clearly governments have an interest in letting things move along quickly without intervening too much (unless it is to 'protect us' with the master keys to our digital houses) and they are itching for cash transactions to disappear so they can literally track everything do on a financial level.
We can only hope that 'healthy" legislation is passed, cross our fingers and hope that at some point technology reaches a point where Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant etc can process our non-internet requests in an air gapped environment and 'learn' and then store what they learn about us - locally.
This is not about patent trolling. They intend to build this stuff.
Great deal for Apple, not so much for Intel even tho they might see a $500 Million savings this year alone by agreeing so quickly. No assurance a significantly better offer was around the corner making it worth waiting.
Sounds like a good buy for Apple, and will hopefully lessen their dependence on Qualcomm. Of course, it also means there will be plenty of fresh lawsuits by QC claiming Apple is infringing on their patents. I’m sure Apple has factored legal costs into its budget...
thats a rather normal thing that goes on in organizations that are somewhat vertically organized, as Apple is. Apple, the corporate parent, has more concerns than just modems. If they can’t compete with Qualcomm, and they believe sales will suffer as a result, they won’t produce them, and Qualcomm has their business. If they can compete, Qualcomm loses their business. so Apple’s modem division is competing with Qualcomm for Apple’s modem business
2) Beats had a nascent streaming service that was turned into Apple Music.
Intel: Apple buys defunct modem business for $1B
Nowhere is the division called "defunct", nor is it actually defunct. It is functional and populated with employees working at stuff. It's just no longer run by intel.
How many more times are you going to have to repeat that before the end of the year?