As it stands, Apple relies on components from both Qualcomm and Intel for the iPhone’s modem, but according to a report from Fast Company, it seems that future iPhones could use Intel’s hardware more or less exclusively. The report claims that Apple is working with Intel on 5G hardware for future iPhones.
Now you might be thinking that this could have something to do with the lawsuit that Apple and Qualcomm are embroiled in, and while that might have been the reason suggested in an earlier report, Fast Company’s report has indicated that this is purely for professional reasons, and that Intel is apparently willing to meet Apple’s needs when it comes to customizing their components in a way that Qualcomm will not.
The report also claims that Intel currently has a “small army” working on 5G hardware in order to catch up to the competition. Prior to this, there were reports that said that the iPhone would not offer its users gigabit download speeds, and apparently this had to do with the limitations in Intel’s hardware, which meant that even if Qualcomm’s hardware could hit those speeds, Apple would have artificially limited them to ensure an even user experience across the board.
That being said, none of this is official information for now so obviously it should be taken with a grain of salt, but we suppose we will find out in future teardowns if Apple has indeed decided to go with Intel for 5G hardware.