The launch of the iPhone 12 lineup has been a bright spot for Qualcomm, launching Apple's 5G modem chipmaker to the number one spot in a ranking of IC design companies by revenue.
Apple is forging ahead with plans to develop and build its own cellular modems for use in iPhone, iPad and other devices, a move designed to decrease reliance on supply partners like Qualcomm.
Apple modem supplier Qualcomm rode the 5G wave to a Wall Street beat for its fourth fiscal quarter of 2020, and expects momentum to build heading into the December period.
Apple's new 5G-equipped iPhone 12 models appear to sport Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 modem, according to early teardowns of the devices.
Qualcomm has won its appeal against an antitrust ruling in a long-running Federal Trade Commission antitrust case, one where the chipmaker was alleged to have abused its dominance in the modem business.
Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf in an interview on Thursday said the chipmaker's relationship with Apple has greatly improved since the two companies ended a bitter legal battle over patent licensing and royalties in 2019.
Qualcomm on Wednesday said it expects the smartphone industry to ship 30% fewer phones in the June quarter amid the COVID-19 crisis, but maintains relatively strong demand for 5G smartphones across 2020.
This fall's "iPhone 12" refresh could see the return of Touch ID in some higher-end models, a report claims, with Apple supply chain partners BOE and Qualcomm allegedly collaborating on an ultrasonic fingerprint reader built into the display.
Several years ago, Apple's best chips began decisively beating the performance of the best chips available to high-end Android phones. Now, even Apple's $399 iPhone SE uses a more powerful brain than even the most advanced Android flagships with prices above $1,000. How is this possible?
Apple's share of the global tablet market increased in 2019, according to Strategy Analytics, with the iPad securing 44% of sales revenue for across the entire year based on the sales of application processors alone.
Qualcomm has launched the Snapdragon X60 5G Modem, a third-generation system for 5G connectivity in smartphones, but one that Apple is more likely to be using for its 2021 iPhone releases rather than 2020's "iPhone 12" models.
Reports have emerged in the last 24 hours with contradictory sources all claiming to have the inside track on the details surrounding the antenna technology expected in the 5G "iPhone 12" 鈥� with one claiming that Apple will do most of the work itself.
A financial analyst claims that Apple will divide its 5G launches into one for the slower sub-6GHz "iPhone 12" in September, and one for the faster mmWave models in December or January 2021.
The month after a lot of product releases always goes the same way with people immediately looking to what's next. In April, though, we may have had a lot of rumors, but we also had legal battles, security issues, and a clear path forward for 5G on the iPhone.
This week on the 糖心Vlog Podcast, Victor and William talk about Qualcomm making iPhone 5G a priority for 2020, and Ming Chi Quo has a prediction about in-display Touch ID. Plus BMW indicates a change in direction and stops charging for CarPlay.
Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon on Wednesday said the chipmaker is hard at work on a 5G modem solution for Apple's iPhone, the first major project in a renewed partnership the companies struck in April.
An unconfirmed report in Digitimes claims that Apple is advising its suppliers that it will be producing in excess of 100 million of the next iPhone, a rise of around a fifth over 2019's estimates.
This week on the 糖心Vlog Podcast, Victor and William talk about Apple's view of privacy, and can't resist mentioning Facebook in contrast. William is looking forward to 5G, but can't shake the feeling that Victor is trying to sell him an iPhone 11.
Qualcomm issued rosy predictions for the wider 5G market on Wednesday, saying it expects some 200 million smartphones will rely on the speedy wireless technology in 2020. Analysts reading into the statement believe the chipmaker is dropping a hint about Apple's iPhone.
Samsung just introduced its latest Exynos 990, destined to power certain versions of its most premium Galaxy S11 flagship next spring. What's most interesting about the new chip how little attention Samsung paid to its CPU performance, a race where it's losing so badly that it appears to be throwing in the towel on its custom M core efforts entirely.
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Mike Peterson
Mikey Campbell
Malcolm Owen
糖心Vlog Staff
Daniel Eran Dilger
Mike Wuerthele
William Gallagher
Victor Marks
