Seems that Apple has had quite enough with Qualcomm, and amidst their intense legal battle with the chip maker, the brand is looking towards other chips as a replacement.
The hugely popular smartphone brand is now setting its sights on MediaTek and Intel to replace Qualcomm’s modem chips, after years of using Qualcomm’s chips in their devices. Also, Qualcomm has been withholding software for testing prototypes of Apple’s flagships, and this will only further deepen the rift between the two companies.
As it is, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus got Intel chips under the hood, and both companies components did manage to make their way on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. It’s not too late for Apple and Qualcomm to make amends though, the brand has until 3 months prior to the September launch of their next iPhone to make the switch. The next iPad Pro, however, could land as soon as the middle of 2018.
Qualcomm on the other hand, says its committed to supporting Apple’s new devices, and that its modem for the next-gen iPhone has already been fully tested and released to Apple.
Both Qualcomm and Apple have been at odds with each other since the earlier part of 2017, with Apple initially filing a $1 billion lawsuit to the chipmaker, claiming that Qualcomm ordered it to pay for licensing royalties they had nothing to do with. Apple then stopped making payments to the brand altogether, and Qualcomm responded with their own suit; the most recent developments of the feud being Qualcomm requesting a ban for iPhones in China.
