In 2016, iPhone May Have Intel Modem In Certain Regions

According to a report, Apple is about to have Intel inside an upcoming iPhone model. While it won't be the wholehearted effort Dell puts forth with Intel and mobile tech, Apple's iPhone released in 2016 will reportedly have an Intel chip. The latest from Intel, their 7360 LTE modem, will reportedly have a home on the circuit board of 2016's iPhone. The modem will reportedly supplant Qualcomm's spot, but there's a good chance you'll never get to experience it, as Apple is also reportedly shipping the Intel model to certain regions.

The Intel 7360 is capable of 450Mbps (megabits per second) download, and supports Category 9/10 LTE. According to Venture Beat, sources say Apple engineers have been flying back and forth from Cupertino to Germany to work with Intel engineers on the chipset.

Intel's modem is reportedly being primed for a version of the iPhone 6S (or whatever Apple will call it) headed to Asia and Latin America. The US version wasn't mentioned, so it's possible it will have Qualcomm's modem in place, as we're used to.

The reason for this duopoly of modems is said to be an uneasy alliance between Qualcomm and Apple. Sources claim Apple may be using a second supplier to gain leverage with Qualcomm.

After experiencing a near monopoly on the PC market, Intel failed to adequately transition to mobile, and are now well behind others when it comes to having their hardware planted in smartphones and tablets. Dell's tablet was their latest winner, but having a modem in an iPhone would not only bring big revenue, but likely other customers as well.

Source: Venture Beat