Despite being a probable six months off, the iPhone 7 is already making its way through the rumour mill.
Apple is set to source a “significant portion” of the modems pegged for use in the iPhone 7 from Intel.
That’s according to an analyst at CLSA Securities – courtesy of a note seen by NDTV – that suggests Intel has won a big chip deal with Apple.
The claim mirrors a similar report by VentureBeat last year, suggesting Intel had upwards of 1,000 employees working on the iPhone 7 modem.
It was alleged that Apple hoped to incorporate Intel’s 7360 LTE modem into the handset, with a view to eventually conscript Intel for development of A-series processors for future phones.
The Intel chip in question supports LTE Cat 10 connections, which would be a first for Apple. In theory, it would offer download speeds of 450Mbps and upload speeds of 100Mbps, although this would be dependent on a variety of external factors.
For previous-generation iPhones, Apple has typically turned to US chipmaker Qualcomm for its high-quality modems. It’s worth noting that Qualcomm has a range of high-end modems on offer, most notably the new Snapdragon X16, which supports 1Gbps download speeds.
However, Apple is reportedly looking to diminish its reliance on the market leader, and is said to be sourcing “30 to 40%” of iPhone 7 modems from Intel.
Given the scale of Apple’s operations, the move by the company would result in Qualcomm’s earnings taking a hit.
According to Srini Pajjuri – the analyst behind the new report – Qualcomm is facing a 4% decline in yearly revenue as a result.
Meanwhile, Intel’s earnings could rise by between 1.5% and 2%.
Related: iPhone 6S review
Of course, Apple is yet to confirm any details about the rumoured iPhone 7, and it’s still early days in the process.
Whatever the case, it’s likely that Apple has a new phone in the works for its annual September event.
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What would you like to see from the iPhone 7? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.