Rumor: Intel is working on soc for Apple devices
Intel is said to be working on processor technology to be built into future Apple devices. The company would bet big on an lte modem for the next iPhone, but in the long term also wants to build a complete system-on-a-chip for Apple.
Rumor has it that Intel has put a team of about 1000 employees on the project. The first target is an lte modem, based on the 7360 chip that has support for lte-advanced, among other things. The chip should be built into the future iPhone 7 that will be released in 2016, according to sources from VentureBeat. Currently, Apple still uses chips from Qualcomm to provide iPhones and other Apple devices with LTE connectivity. Earlier, VentureBeat also reported that Apple plans to use the 7360 chip, although the site stated at the time that the modem would only be used for iPhones in emerging markets.
Ultimately, Intel would like to go further than just supplying the lte modem for the future iPhone. The bet would be on a full Soc, which Apple could license under its existing Series A Socs. The current A9-soc, which serves in the iPhone 6s series, is made by TSMC and Samsung. The advantage of a possible Intel soc as a successor would be that the application processor and the lte modem can be integrated. That is more efficient and could therefore increase the performance of the soc. Whether Intel will actually take the place of these companies, however, remains to be seen and will likely depend on the performance of the future Intel soc.
According to VentureBeat, Intel has rigged a large team to meet Apple’s needs. Big bets would be made because Intel still has a small share of the chip market for mobile devices; a contract with Apple would allow Intel to significantly increase its market share. According to VentureBeat’s sources, a contract probably hasn’t been signed between the two companies yet.
Intel’s 7360 modem, which was introduced earlier this year, will appear in smartphones from next year, according to the company itself. In addition to the possible iPhone 7, it is not yet known which companies are interested in using the chip.