Analyst: Apple is a year away from a 5G iPhone and could struggle to find components for it

“Apple Inc. is expected to wait until 2020 before it releases a 5G version of its iPhone, but even with a time frame that puts a potential launch after rivals such as Samsung, Apple may still struggle to get the necessary components to build the product,” Ryan Vlastelica reports for Bloomberg. “According to Cowen, Apple is ‘in a difficult position’ given its reliance on Intel’s modem products, and it has four options to deal with the situation, ‘none of which is ideal.'”
“Apple’s first option, Cowen wrote, is to ‘launch 18 months after 5G competition with an inferior modem from Intel likely without mmWave capabilities,’ referring to the band of spectrum that can be used for 5G’s high-speed wireless communications,” Vlastelica reports. “Another option would be to ‘source a 5G modem from chief competitor Samsung,’ Cowen wrote, though it added that would likely come only on ‘tough commercial terms.’ Using a 5G modem from Huawei is ‘off the table as an option,’ Cowen told clients, while ‘MediaTek’s stack is too far behind in terms of timeline.'”
“Apple could also settle its disputes with Qualcomm and revert back to its modems, but Cowen asked, ‘might it be too late already?'” Vlastelica reports. “The company’s fourth option would be to purchase Intel’s modem business and develop the necessary components internally.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple will have 5G modems when Apple needs 5G modems because, in the immortal words of Tom Gray: “Money changes everything.”
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Intel modem announcement likely means no 5G iPhone until 2020 – February 22, 2019
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Why you should not waste your money on a ‘5G’ phone in 2019 – February 9, 2019
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AT&T says it will have nationwide 5G by early 2020 – January 9, 2019
Apple will wait until at least 2020 to release a 5G iPhone – December 3, 2018
More evidence that Apple’s building its own cellular modem – July 31, 2017
Apple’s next-gen iPhones said to lack 5G modem to match rivals’ data speed – June 9, 2017