Intel's 7560 modem supports 1Gbps download speeds, could appear in iPhone 8
Intel just unveiled its fifth generation LTE modem, the XMM 7560 which supports download speeds of 1Gbps and upload speeds of 225Mbps. Will Apple use the XMM 7560 modem on the next iPhone?
Image source: Intel
Intel is ready to take on Qualcomm in the LTE modem market with its latest offering, the XMM 7560.
Intel's fifth generation LTE modem is targeted at Qualcomm's Snapdragon X16 modem, which was announced last year and included in the latest Snapdragon 835 chipset. Built on Intel's 14nm process, the XMM 7560 modem supports LTE Advanced Pro with Cat 16 download speeds exceeding 1Gbps, and Cat 13 upload speeds of up to 225Mbps.
Other notable features include 5x carrier aggregration, 4x4 MIMO, 256QAM, support up to 35 LTE bands and 230 carrier aggregation combinations across TDD and FDD spectrum. On paper, Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon X20 modem has a slight edge as it is built on a 10nm FinFET process and its ability to support up to a maximum of 1.2Gbps (LTE Cat 18) download speeds.
As the Snapdragon X20 modem is expected to be only available in the first half of 2018, Intel can take advantage of this window of opportunity to secure a deal with Apple to supply the XMM 7560 modem for the iPhone 8 as its modems are expected to move into production in the second half of the year.
In addition, Apple is currently engaged in legal lawsuits against Qualcomm over the latter's unfair charging of royalty fees. Having used Intel modems for some iPhone 7 models, Apple can easily switch to using the XMM 7560 models for the entire iPhone lineup this year if it wants to offer a single, global model and teach Qualcomm a painful lesson.
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