Intel Introduces Its First Gigabit Lte Modem

Intel has announced the Intel XMM 7560, an LTE modem that, unlike the Intel modem of the iPhone 7, can handle gigabit speeds and functions with cdma networks. The modem should be on the market this year.

With the arrival of the XMM 7560, Intel is making the move to Cat 16 LTE for gigabit speeds. The biggest advantage over the XMM 7360, Intel’s modem that is in some of the iPhone 7 models, is that support for cdma is now also available. In the US, for example, Verizon uses this network technology, forcing Apple to provide iPhones with a Qualcomm modem for this provider. The Intel modems would also perform less than the Qualcomm variants according to research.

Furthermore, Intel produces the XMM 7560 modem on its 14nm process, which should make the modem a lot more economical than the XMM 7360 produced on 28nm. Incidentally, Intel released the XMM 7480 in the meantime, but this modem offered marginal improvements compared to 7360 .

With the XMM 7560, Intel will compete with the Snapdragon X16 LTE and the X20 LTE from Qualcomm introduced on Tuesday. Whether the XMM 7560 will be found in a future iPhone is unknown, however. In the first half of this year, Intel will send the first samples to manufacturers. After that, mass production should start ‘quickly’, according to the manufacturer.