Apple CEO Tim Cook holds up the new iPhone 15 Pro at an Apple event in Cupertino, California on September 12, 2023.
Justin Sullivan/Getty ImagesFor years, Apple has built iPhone technology that is lighter, faster and, importantly for the nation’s most valuable company, designed in-house. However, according to Wednesday’s article, wall street journal, The company had just discovered a complete lack of large-scale engineering projects.
Cupertino-based Apple spent billions of dollars and hired thousands of engineers to build its own wireless carrier connectivity chip, or modem chip, for its flagship iPhone, the newspaper reported. . The report, which cites mostly anonymous “former company engineers and executives familiar with the project,” said the company had planned to include the chip in the iPhone 15 launch this month, but tests late last year showed that the chip was not available. said it turned out to be too late. And it’s too big.
The hardware and software giant will therefore continue to rely on Qualcomm, the San Diego-based chipmaker that dominates the modem chip market and is one of Apple’s most important suppliers.Qualcomm announced On September 11, Apple announced that it would continue to supply modem systems to Apple until 2026. The deal will bring Qualcomm billions of dollars a year, CNBC report.
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However, the magazine said that while the relationship was profitable, the friendship between the two companies was not very strong, and the feud between the two companies, which took place in 2019, was “one of the ugliest corporate battles in history.” has been done. piece. For many years, Apple has issues raised Qualcomm charges you twice for each phone manufactured. The first time is to obtain a patent license and the second time is to use a physical chip.The companies got into an argument. patent The argument took place in open court. press.
The newspaper reported that in 2018, at the direction of CEO Tim Cook, the phone maker poured money into designing its own modem chips because Apple wanted to end its dependence on Qualcomm. A modem chip designed by Apple would boost profits for the iPhone, the company’s most popular device, by eliminating the need for the company to buy components from outside suppliers.
In Wednesday’s headline, the paper called Apple’s efforts to develop modem chips a “spectacular failure.”
The magazine reported that the semiconductor project was riddled with unrealistic goals, missed deadlines, mixed priorities and inexperienced leadership. According to executives, We didn’t initially realize how difficult it would be to manufacture modem chips, which must work with different mobile phone providers at varying connection strengths to ensure data and call service at each outlet. .
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“Cellular is a monster,” former Qualcomm executive Serge Willenegger told the Journal, adding that Apple’s delays suggest the company didn’t expect the modem to be so complicated to build. He added that there is.
Jaydeep Ranade, Apple’s former director of wireless, said it plainly: “It’s foolish to think that just because Apple makes the best silicon on the planet, they can also make modems.” Both men left the company in 2018, when the company began developing modem chips, according to Journal source and former Apple human resources executive Chris Deaver.
The magazine said billions of dollars were spent on the project, which included acquiring Intel’s 2,200-employee modem business and hiring former Qualcomm employees. However, prototype testing late last year did not go well, the newspaper reported. Apple’s chips were about three years behind Qualcomm’s best, too slow, too large and “prone to overheating.”
The outlet reported that Apple, which has huge funds and great incentives to manufacture new chips, will continue working on the project.
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Apple did not respond to SFGATE’s request for comment.
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