We imagine that developing your own modem probably won’t come easy and will require a huge investment and a lot of resources, which is also why it didn’t surprise us to learn that Apple was, at some point in time, interested in acquiring Intel’s modem business. It was previously reported that the talks had come to an end without any deal being made, but it turns out that maybe those discussions aren’t quiet dead yet.
In a report from The Information (paywall), it seems that Apple is still in talks with Intel where they might acquire the company’s German modem unit. As to why specifically German, it is because Intel’s modem business is huge and the company is said to be looking to sell off its modem business in pieces, rather than as a whole.
There is no guarantee that these talks will end in a deal, but if anything it does show that Apple is serious about making its own components. In the meantime, following Apple’s successful settlement agreement with Qualcomm, Intel has since announced that they will no longer be developing its own 5G modems.