
Apple acquires Intel’s 5G smartphone modem business for $1B - panda88888
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/07/apple-acquires-intels-5g-smartphone-modem-business-for-1-billion/
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panda88888
It would be interesting to see how well Apple can design a cellular modem.
Many believe Apple will design amazing modem, pointing to the incredibly good
A-series ARM SOC and other chips as supporting evidence. However, IMO modem
design is a completely different animal. In addition to the RF/mixed signal,
there’s also the need to interoperate with wireless service providers in tens
(to hundred something) wireless providers. The operating environments and edge
cases are much more varied and numerous than the ARM SOC, which Apple controls
all surrounding interfaces.

It’s a good long term strategic move, since it will keep a second source for
modem alive. Just by volume, Apple certainly moves sufficient phones to fund
design of 1 to 2 modems. Apple does have the advantage that its own modem can
be tailored to its own requirement, whereas Qualcomm modem need to satisfy
requirements from different customers (similar to how everyone only uses 20%
of Excel, but that 20% is different for everyone, thus creating bloat). This
should allow Apple modem to be simpler, more focuses, and more streamlined
compared to Qualcomm modem, which should help with power efficiency and reduce
implementation complexity.

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greenyoda
Previous discussion:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20529001](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20529001)

