
That Apple «Broke» with the Intel, everyone knows. No, I’m not referring to the processors that equip Macs (this should happen soon), but rather to the modems that equip iPhones and iPads – Intel even gave up on this market and sold its 5G modem division to Apple.
Recently, Apple and Qualcomm they decided to stop fighting and made a deal so that Apple could use the company’s technologies again – a billionaire deal, by the way. Until then, the news that circulated in the technological world was that «IPhones 12» would be equipped with the 5G modem X55, but now the DigiTimes came with other information.
According to the vehicle, this year’s iPhones will be equipped with the modem X60, which supports the bands mmWave and sub-6GHz – used by 5G networks – simultaneously.
Built in a 5 nanometer process by TSMC (Apple’s partner that is also responsible for the production of the “A” family chips), the X60 offers greater energy efficiency even though it is smaller than the X55.
The big problem is the timing: the X60 was launched in February, and Qualcomm said that the first devices equipped with it would hit the market only in the beginning of 2021. In a normal situation – new iPhones hitting the market in September, as always, – Apple would not have much time to perform the appropriate tests with the X60 modem.
However, due to the pandemic of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19), it is possible that the launch of the new iPhones will be delayed; thus, it would not be completely unrealistic that Apple has tested the implementation of the X60 modem in the devices.
Furthermore, it remains to be seen whether such a modem would be used only on Pro models or if all “iPhones 12” would come equipped with it – rumors suggest that only top-of-the-line models will support mmWave and sub-6GHz bands.
Let’s follow…
via MacRumors