Apple may completely ditch Qualcomm for a 5G modem in the future, with a new report claiming that iPhone engineers are working closely with Intel to deliver gigabit per second wireless speeds.
Qualcomm has once again escalated the legal war with Apple surrounding modem chips in the iPhone and iPad, with the chip manufacturer now claiming that Apple is in breach of contract because of how it works with Intel — and what software has been shared with the competition.
Apple is not only interested in chip production for the iPhone and iPad, but developing its own CPU for laptops, modems for the iPhone, and its own touchscreen processing system, a new report claims.
Supply chain sources suggest that the Intel Cannon Lake processor needed to drive 32GB of RAM in a MacBook Pro without the need of a dedicated memory controller has slipped to the end of 2018, likely pushing any MacBook Pro with the configuration that far away as well.
Intel has revealed its new collection of Xeon processors aimed at workstations, with the Xeon W range boasting 48 PCIe 3.0 lanes and up to 18 cores on a single chip, making the new processor line prime candidates for use in the upcoming iMac Pro due in December.
Intel launched its 8th-generation processors on Monday, starting with the with the new 'U-series' chips for notebooks boasting a 40 percent performance boost compared to the previous generation, though while this series is suitable for use in MacBooks and the dual-core MacBook Pro, it won't help provide users with a 32GB memory option.
A startup backed by iPod creator and Nest founder Tony Fadell is reportedly partnering with Samsung Electronics, Apple manufacturer Hon Hai/Foxconn, and other firms on a new short-range wireless data standard that could in some cases bypass the need for Wi-Fi or USB.
Several major tech and automotive companies — including Intel, Toyota, and Ericsson — on Thursday announced a consortium that will build a "big data" ecosystem for use with self-driving cars, as well as related technologies like driver assist and mapping using real-time data.
Following up on its $15.3 billion Mobileye buyout, Intel on Wednesday announced a plans to deploy a fleet of over 100 self-driving test vehicles, with an ambitious goal of having a kit in automakers' hands by 2019.
Intel has expanded its Core series of processors with nine new X-series models, but none of them are likely to be in the iMac Pro, given what Apple has said about the system.
Supplementing Intel's presence in a trade group in a previous filing, the company has filed its own declaration with the U.S. International Trade Commission in support of Apple in its fight against Qualcomm's wireless technology licensing practices for the iPhone 7, and future devices.
Intel has reportedly laid off the few employees working in its health wearables division, which includes fitness trackers and the Basis smartwatch, as the company refocuses on augmented reality.
Released in late 2016, the redesigned MacBook Pro without Touch Bar came with Intel's previous-generation Skylake processors. This month, they were refreshed with next-gen Kaby Lake processors, and AppleInsider put the two models head to head to compare their performance.
Although Apple already has access to Qualcomm modems with gigabit download speeds, it won't enable that bandwidth in upcoming iPhones due to its use of Intel chips as well, according to a report.
Faced with an ongoing legal battle with Qualcomm, Apple is reportedly ramping up its use of Intel baseband chips in iPhones — despite previously weak performance from Intel's parts.
Intel's 8th-generation processors, codenamed 'Coffee Lake,' will be faster than the previous generation by a wider margin than previously thought, with the chip producer claiming the new generation could offer 30 percent more performance compared to the 7th-generation 'Kaby Lake' chips, believed to be used in the upcoming MacBook refresh.
Apple has hired Qualcomm Engineering VP Esin Terzioglu as a wireless "System on a Chip" lead, offering additional evidence that the company may plan to expand its internal chip development into broadband processors working as mobile modems.
Thunderbolt has never seen a great deal of market penetration, but that may be about to change with Intel natively integrating Thunderbolt 3 into future CPU models and making the protocol royalty-free to chipmakers in 2018.
Intel may be preparing to add a new tier of processor to its lineup, with an image suggesting a new high-end Core i9 with six processors using the "Kaby Lake-X" and "Skylake-X" architectures are set to be unveiled by the chip producer starting in June — but if they will see the light of day in an Apple desktop isn't clear.
Cannon Lake, Intel's 10nm evolution of Core processors, could arrive later than initially believed, after comments by a company executive suggest delays in development and mass production of the new processor — potentially endangering a rumored 32 GB MacBook Pro release in 2017
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Mike Wuerthele
Malcolm Owen
Roger Fingas
Mikey Campbell
AppleInsider Staff
Daniel Eran Dilger
