Even as we enjoy the benefits of 4G LTE, the tech industry is already preparing for the advent of 5G, the next standard to eventually be cemented.
And according to a new report, Apple is one of those companies preparing for that day.
Apple has reportedly been working with Intel to incorporate the chip manufacturer¡¯s 5G modems in future iPhones, according to a Fast Company report. This even as the company¡¯s talks with the other major chipmaker Qualcomm, which has also been developing 5G technology, have been ¡°limited¡±.
While Qualcomm already has a more advanced 5G modem than Intel, the latter supposedly has thousands of employees continue to improve their own technology. In theory, an iPhone with a 5G modem would be able to transfer data at about 1 gigabit per second, though it¡¯ll be a long while before telecom companies actually build the infrastructure to support this technology. However, the report indicates Apple could be putting 5G modems in iPhones as early as 2019.
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Apple has already been using Intel chips in its smartphones since the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, with a combination of those and Qualcomm hardware in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Eventually, experts believe the company will shift away from QUalcomm entirely, in favour of Intel. This is mostly due to the ongoing feud between Apple and Qualcomm, with the tech giant accusing the chipmaker of charging excessive billions in royalty fees for using their technology. Apple stopped paying those fees and, in response, Qualcomm filed a number of cases and began withholding software to test its chips going into Apple devices.