In a new interview with The Wall Street Journal, Intel CEO Bob Swan attempted to clarify why his company abruptly exited the 5G modem business last week.
“In light of the announcement of Apple and Qualcomm, we assessed the prospects of us to make money while delivering this technology for smartphones and concluded at the time that we just didn’t see a path,” said Swan.
The news that Intel was exiting the 5G modem market broke shortly after Apple and Qualcomm announced their settlement and six-year patent licensing agreement on April 16th. At the time, it was unclear what precipitated the settlement. However, recent reporting by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and Ian King suggests Apple decided Intel “wasn’t up to the task” of furnishing the 2020 iPhone with a capable 5G modem.
In another recent report, The Washington Post suggests Apple privately held Qualcomm’s tech in high regard, even as it worked to downplay the chipmaker’s technological prowess in court.
Given the development cycle of the iPhone, it’s likely Intel will continue to supply LTE modems to Apple for at least another year.
Source: The Wall Street Journal Via: The Verge
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