Report: Apple’s self-developed baseband chip faces huge challenges, but it will also bring huge rewards – yqqlm

IT House May 1 news, according to the “Wall Street Journal” report, Apple’s self-developed baseband chips may completely change the way it produces mobile devices, such as the rumored Apple Glass,But the premise is that it can really catch up with or exceed the level of Qualcomm baseband chips.

Apple has been a major customer of Qualcomm’s baseband chips after reaching an unexpected settlement with Qualcomm in 2019 to end a patent infringement lawsuit. However, with the continuous exploration of Apple’s self-developed baseband chips, the days of using Qualcomm baseband chips may be numbered.

In a briefing on Apple’s self-developed baseband chips on Saturday, The Wall Street Journal outlined the challenges Apple faces in making baseband chips and the lucrative rewards of successful self-development.

The rewards of self-developed baseband chips include 5G support for MacBook Pro and other products, and faster iPhone network speeds. For future hardware, AR headsets and smart glasses can also make for a truly great experience.

IT Home has learned that it is reported that Apple has acquired most of Intel’s smartphone baseband chip business andAbout 2200 engineersbut Apple continues to expand its talent pool.

At Qualcomm’s headquarters in San Diego, Apple posted about 140 jobs for baseband chip research and development. Meanwhile, the Irvine, Calif., office has about 20 similar openings that could lure Broadcom employees to the company.

The current expectation is that Apple will 2023Begin to switch to self-developed baseband chips, and TSMC is expected to become the manufacturer.

Wayne Lam, senior research director at CCS Insight, told the report that self-developed baseband chips will give Apple an advantage in many areas,Including cost savings and reduced reliance on suppliers such as Qualcomm.

However, according to Prakash Sangam, founder of Tantra Analyst, “In some ways baseband chips are more complex than chips like the M1”, in part because the conditions that affect the signal are very complex. It could make production more difficult for Apple, thereby increasing development time.