Apple To Drop Intel 5G Chip For 2020 iPhones – Report

Apple continues to put the squeeze on Intel with reports that it may be moving away from using Intel’s 5G modems in future iPhones.

This is according to a new report from Ctech, which claimed that it has seen internal documents that show the iPad maker has already notified Intel that it will not be using the chipmaker’s 5G modems in its 2020 product lineup.

Indeed, Intel has already reportedly halted development of the product (internally codenamed ‘Sunny Peak’) and has disbanded the team, as Apple was its primary customer for the combined 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip.

Intel decision

Apple has historically relied on Qualcomm chips, but its bust up with the chip designer meant that it turned to Intel for its chipsets.

It is reported that for now Intel is expected to supply the bulk of the chips for this year’s iPhones, although it is believed that Apple will still have to rely on Qualcomm for part of its supply.

If true, this represents another setback for the PC chip giant.

In April this year it was reported that Apple would stop using Intel processors in its Mac computers, and instead utilise its own inhouse central processing units (CPUs).

And in February 2017 Bloomberg had reported that Apple was developing an ARM-based in-house processor for its Macbook range.

Apple chips

For the record, Apple has been using Intel chips ever since 2005, when it stopped using chips designed by IBM and Motorola for its computer range.

And it should be noted that Apple’s development of its own chip is not a new phenomenon. Apple for example already uses its own chip (called the T1) in the Touch Bar equipped Macbook Pro that launched in October 2016.

Apple has also been designing its own iPhone processors since the release of the iPhone 4 in 2010 and has steadily been ramping up its chip design efforts.

Currently, all iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs use processors designed by Apple and based on technology from ARM Holdings.

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