Apple to Design their own Modem and Leave Qualcomm
16-12-2020 | By Robin Mitchell
Recently, Apple released its own in-house SoC, the M1, which utilises ARM technology instead of Intel. Now, information has come to light that Apple’s next target is Qualcomm!
Why is technology moving towards SoCs and SoPs?
One technology that is now widespread across the world is the faithful System-on-Chip or SoC for short. An SoC is a single IC that integrates all the needed components for a system which generally includes a processor, memory, and a GPU.
While SoCs are nowhere near as powerful as a dedicated processor, they consume far less energy, are significantly smaller, and considerably cheaper. As a result, they are ideal for portable applications whereby power conservation is important, and low-cost systems which need to provide basic computation.
The rise of IoT technologies, as well as the increasing use of electronics in everyday life, has seen SoCs become an integral part of everyday life. The development of SoCs, however, has the continuing reduction in transistor size by the semiconductor industry to thank for its adoption.
However, SoCs are designed in silicon, and this can make them difficult to develop and costly to manufacture. Another emerging technology, System-on-Package, or SoP, is beginning to show its advantages.
An SoP is a small PCB or other substrates that hold silicon dies and then connect them using bond wires and traces. Unlike SoCs, an SoP allows for a manufacturer to choose what devices they want to combine without the need to use a semiconductor foundry. While this can make packages larger, it allows for rapid design and fabrication as well as the ability to use off-the-shelf parts already in circulation.
Apple Releases the M1 SoC
Recently, Apple launched its M1 SoC aimed at its latest range of Macintosh machines which feature a max clock speed of 3.2GHz, 4 high-performance cores, 4 high-efficiency cores, and either 8GB or 16GB of RAM. With a total transistor count of 16 billion, the M1 is the worlds first 5nm processor and utilises ARM architecture as opposed to x86 architecture.
While the processor itself is an interesting release demonstrating cutting-edge technology, what is more, interesting is Apple’s move away from Intel processors, and the fact that the M1 is developed in-house by Apple. One major reason for this decision comes from Intel’s falling performance as a result of technology reduction failures, and the relationship between the latest Intel architecture and its node processes.
Apple moving away from Intel means that Apple is now in control of the features found in their devices, direct access to internal processor hardware, the ability to customise to their needs, and the lack of reliance on an external company to develop the next generation tech. The nature of generic CPUs is that they must be able to handle a wide variety of tasks. Still, if Apple decides that future computers will be heavily reliant on AI, they can focus their next line of CPUs to have dedicated AI engines right next to the heart of the computer for reduced latency and maximised throughput.
Apple Announces Move Away from Qualcomm
The move away from Intel was surprising for the industry, but the latest announcement by Apple demonstrates its intention to move away from proprietary products as much as possible. The recent announcement by Apple states that the company is now developing its own custom wireless modem, and by doing so, move away from Qualcomm.
Qualcomm is world-famous for their patented mobile technologies, and the billions invested in such technologies that have brought about Wi-Fi, 5G, and much more. As such, it is only fair that Qualcomm profit from their developments, as any company would, but their licensing practices are seeing more and more companies becoming disgruntled towards them.
The practice that has gotten many companies so angry involves Qualcomm not only charging for their fabricated devices but also a licensing fee stating that a company can only use their devices if they continue to pay royalties. To make matters worse, these fees often cover patent technologies not even present on the device. While many Qualcomm customers are not happy about the practice, the automotive industry, in particular, were left confused when wanting to integrate 5G technology into their vehicles, only to find Qualcomm asking for money.
Apple’s ability to develop wireless modem technologies is backed by its acquisition of Intel’s modem business, as well as their in-house wireless solution, W-series, which is already in use in their Apple Watch. According to Apple, their in-house solution provides ultra-wideband for use in precision location. If the same technology is used in future modems, then Apple users can expect to see enhanced tracking technology soon.
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