Apple is now building the chip it needs to ditch Qualcomm as if it ditched Intel

This fall, Apple It changed the way we think about laptops overnight. Intel’s processors have replaced the MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini with homemade ARM chips instead – and although we were initially skeptical about Apple’s silicon transition, the end product We blew away.

right Now, Bloomberg Reports That the head of the Apple chip internally disclosed that a Second The chip transition is also in its early stages: a cellular modem could mean much less (if any) need for Qualcomm chips in Apple products.

“This year we started developing our first internal cellular modem which will enable another major strategic transition,” said Johnny Srouji, Senior Vice President of Hardware. Bloomberg.

If you’ve been following Apple’s struggles with Intel and Qualcomm, this shouldn’t be surprising: Apple bought Intel’s smartphone modem business last July, Which strongly indicates it was only a matter of time before Apple used this purchase to develop its own radio chips.

Qualcomm has more than just physical radio chips, of course; It also has an enormous amount of intellectual property about the cell phone that it licenses to companies like Apple (and has been accused of using it in non-competitive ways, though It recently won the antitrust lawsuit Against FTC). Before Apple purchased an Intel modem business, It reached a surprise settlement with Qualcomm About patent infringement and clinched a multi-year deal on corporate wireless IP – it ended up paying Qualcomm $ 4.5 billion and where Apple ended up getting the Qualcomm chips it needed to build this year’s iPhone 5G devices.

With its cellular radios, Apple could be less dependent on Qualcomm. At best, it can build a better-performing radio and extend battery life, as it did with new ARM chips versus Intel.

To be honest, the most surprising thing in Bloomberg Transfer Is that the Apple City Council meeting has been leaked Absolutely, Consider how confidential the company usually is. Bloomberg Reports also indicate that Apple CEO Tim Cook has spoken When employees return to the company’s physical offices During that meeting, they considered it “likely” that most of the teams would not return until June 2021.