Apple has built a strong relationship with Qualcomm, the only supplier of its 5G chips, after Intel withdrew. In fact, Apple eventually acquired Intel’s modem division with the idea of abolishing Qualcomm and switching to an in-house modem. Analyst Migh-Chi Kuo recently reported that it may not have occurred on the original timeline (H2 2023).
However, that means that the technology wasn’t ready.now FOSS patent Opposite: The issue with Apple’s 5G efforts is not a technical issue, but a legal issue.
Apple has a license agreement with Qualcomm, which has the option of ending in 2025 and extending to 2027. Initially it was thought that Apple would switch to an in-house modem, but now that’s not the case.
Interestingly, there are two patents that are hindering Apple’s progress, but they have little to do with 5G. One is to allow users to reject calls with text messages (such as “busy”), and the other is about the app’s switching interface.
This is the kicker. If Apple switches to its own modem, Qualcomm will file a proceeding over the patent in question. The two patents expired in 2029 and 2030, respectively, and Apple’s attempt to revoke the patent ended this Monday when the Supreme Court decided not to hear a bid to revive Apple’s patent opposition. ..
Initially, Apple wanted Qualcomm to supply only 20% of the required modems by late 2023, rather than 100%. But if Florian Mueller is right, that doesn’t happen and Apple has to buy from Qualcomm and pay the license fee.
Source | Via