14 DAY TRIAL // After reaching a settlement with Qualcomm and dropping all litigation, Apple has pretty much resolved the biggest iPhone problem in the long term: the lack of a 5G modem supplier.
The company has already confirmed that it signed a supply agreement with Qualcomm, suggesting that a 5G iPhone is indeed on its way. And while no specifics were shared, everyone now expects this 5G iPhone to launch in 2020.
Meanwhile, a quick look at how Apple handled the whole dispute shows just how certain the company was a 5G iPhone would come to be without the need for a potential agreement with a rival.
Leaving Qualcomm aside, Apple’s only choices when it came to a 5G modem were Intel, Samsung, and Huawei. Intel originally said a 5G chip would be ready in 2020, but analysts projected the company would miss this target, eventually pushing back a 5G iPhone for another year.
Samsung and Huawei, not even considered as alternatives
Samsung, on the other hand, already supplies a series of parts to Apple for the iPhone, including the OLED screens, but given Cupertino’s attempt to reduce reliance on its South Korean rival, adding a 5G modem to this list wasn’t considered a good idea.
Huawei was the last big name with an output that could have reached Apple’s expectations, but as it turns out, the iPhone maker hasn’t even reached out to the Chinese firm to discuss a potential 5G modem deal.
Despite Huawei actually saying it was willing to supply 5G chips to Apple, a company representative said at the Huawei Analyst Summit a few days ago that the American firm never looked into such an option.
“[There was] no communication with Apple about 5G modems,” a company representative said at the event according to tech analyst Anshel Sag.
In the meantime, Huawei has huge plans in the short term. The firm wants to become the number one phone manufacturer by 2020, while at the same time investing big in high-end phones with 5G capabilities.