So far for Apple’s iPhones, Qualcomm has been supplying the company with the LTE modems. However according to a new rumor, it has been suggested that Intel could be supplying some of the LTE modems for the iPhone 7. If you’re wondering why this rumor sounds familiar, it is because this isn’t the first time this rumor has surfaced.
However previous rumors have suggested that Apple might only make the change in 2017, but if the latest rumors are true, it could be earlier than we think. The modem in question is said to be the XMM 7480 which was recently announced by Intel. The component is capable of speeds up to 450 megabits per second on the downlink, and 100 megabits per second on the uplink.
As it stands, Qualcomm’s MDM9365 in the iPhone 6s/6s Plus is capable of 300 megabits down and 50 megabits up. However as Motley Fool points out, there are several issues in the way of this rumor. If Apple were to work with Intel and Qualcomm, there will be some devices that will have Intel’s modem, and some with Qualcomm’s.
There is also the issue of having both components achieve the same speeds and battery efficiency, if not we could be looking at another controversy from last year where it was discovered that some iPhones used Samsung-made chipsets, while other models used chipsets made by TSMC. In theory and on paper there was a bit of battery discrepancy, but in real-life this did not exactly prove to be an issue.