Apple's A12 Is in the Works, But What About That Intel Modem?

Apple's A12 Is in the Works, But What About That Intel Modem?

New iPhones are coming this fall, and it looks like Apple is preparing its new A12 processor. But we're not sure it will be able to ditch Qualcomm modems.

Apple's manufacturing partner has started production of the 7nm processor that's destined to become the Apple A12, Bloomberg reports. But the iPhone maker's leap to using only Intel modems in this year's phones is clouded by some online rumors.
First, the good news for Apple: its 7nm, TSMC-made chip will probably come before Android stalwart Qualcomm can make the leap down to 7nm. Smaller chip processes tend to produce more efficient processors.

Starting production now would sync up well with iPhone launches in the fall. While there were some rumors about an "iPhone SE 2" launching at the WWDC conference this June, it would use an older chipset, and we have been hearing that is less likely to happen anyway.
There's a little more uncertainty around Apple's rumored move away from Qualcomm modems to an all-Intel lineup, though. A thread on TheLayoff.com cited by Motley Fool's Ashraf Essa says the "XMM7560 is a huge mess," and that "The problems aren't even...manufacturing issues, but the inability to hit critical KPIs and the fact that there are no viable concepts to fix this."
Intel has a completely different—and more optimistic—take on the situation. "The Intel XMM 7560 modem chipset is on track and has already completed carrier certifications from nearly 20 major wireless operators around the world," the company said in a statement.
Apple needs the XMM7560 because it's the first Intel modem to support CDMA, the voice technology still used by Sprint. While Verizon might accept an iPhone without CDMA this year, as it supports voice-over-LTE and has started to sell CDMA-less phones, Sprint cannot do the same.
The past two generations of iPhones have had modems supplied by both Qualcomm and Intel. The Qualcomm modems have generally performed better, but Apple has been in a perpetual low-level conflict with Qualcomm over its prices. Apple is Intel's biggest smartphone modem customer by far, so Apple probably gets a much better deal from Intel. In February, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who covers Apple heavily, said he expects this year's iPhones to only use Intel modems.

In the long term, Apple may be working on its own modems, just as it engineers its own CPUs for iPhones, Joel Hruska reports for ExtremeTech. It takes years to build modem expertise, though, so that may be a goal for 5G modems in 2020 or 2021.

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