Thanks to the ongoing litigation with Qualcomm, Apple is considering to use MediaTek and Intel chips for its upcoming iPads and iPhones.
Previously, Apple has exclusively been using Qualcomm for the modem chips in all iPhones up to the iPhone 6 family. From iPhone 7 onwards, Apple has been using a mix of Intel and Qualcomm modem chips in its devices.
The report from Wall Street Journal says that Qualcomm has stopped sharing the important testing software with Apple since earlier this year – around the time of the lawsuit. At the same time, Apple wants two or more suppliers in its supply chain for royalty negotiations, which is why the company is looking to add Mediatek into its supplier list.
Of course, nothing is really set in stone. Apple can easily change its suppliers before shipping the upcoming devices, and this can happen as late as June. That’s up to three months before the expected launch of the next iPhones.
Apple’s justification for the move is due to Qualcomm’s unfair licensing terms. Plus, even Samsung is following Apple in as the two companies are teaming up against Qualcomm on this lawsuit. We will have to wait and see if Apple will drop Qualcomm completely from its devices in the future, replacing the chipmaker’s chips with those from Mediatek and Intel.
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