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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,526
23,254
I am willing to bet the contract included lower prices for Apple. So it wasn’t a complete loss for Apple there. Qualcomm gets to lock in Apple’s business for the next six years (which is also probably the last six years they will see a single cent of Apple’s money).

In the end, just another day in business and life goes on.

Lower prices? Did we forget Intel was about 12 months behind in their first-gen 5G modem? Apple was in no position to negotiate terms.

To this day, Apple continues to use Broadcom chips packaged by Murata for Wi-Fi/BT. Apple has shown they can tweak a standard like Bluetooth for their own use, like H1. But they're a bit far from spinning their own wireless silicon.
 
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Eorlas

macrumors 65816
Feb 10, 2010
1,249
1,917
Testing and validation of the baseband normally takes 12-18 months. Qualcomm and Apple settled in April 2019. Ramping of new iPhone begins in July 2020 and mass production is in August 2020. That's one heck of a rush.

The idea that they didnt start working on this in anticipation of is silly. It doesnt mean that Apple wasnt already testing out a Qualcomm modem in a device in the pipeline already.
 

CHA05 R31GN5

Suspended
Oct 31, 2019
165
259
United States
From someone who has posted zero facts.
Facts are things proven. Apple has a defect in multiple products and there are many covered under support documents and service programs. Your constant defense to downplay them in multiple posts is why you're often ignored or criticized.

Apple Service Exchange + Repair Extension Programs

There are many others not on the list above and are archived at archive.org because they are no longer provided or being offered for service by Apple.

Forbes MacBook Pro Shutdown Problem

BusinessInsider MacBook Butterfly Keyboard Issues

Verge MacBook Battery Fire Problem

Telegraph Macbook Anti-Reflective Coating Defect

Digital Trends MacBook Pro SSD Failure

Medium MacBook Pro Thermal Throttling

PCMag MacBook Air Logic Board Faulty

VentureBeat MacBook Pro T2 Causing Kernel Panics

ZDNet MacBook Pro Hinge Display Cable Breaking

AppleToolBox MacBook USB-C Port Loose Connection


and so on......................hundreds of thousands of sources with a plethora of examples of multiple different failures in the Apple notebook lineup.
 
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V.K.

macrumors 6502a
Dec 5, 2007
716
466
Toronto, Canada
Testing and validation of the baseband normally takes 12-18 months. Qualcomm and Apple settled in April 2019. Ramping of new iPhone begins in July 2020 and mass production is in August 2020. That's one heck of a rush.
That's what I was thinking regarding this rumor. Is it really reasonable to expect Apple will have 5G ready for 2020 iphones given this timeline?
It's not a bout a race and about being first but about being on time. If the major networks roll out 5G in late 2020-early 2021 and Apple's competitors will have 5G by then but iPhones won't, iPhone sales will suffer. Apple will want to avid that if they can.
 
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Baymowe335

Suspended
Oct 6, 2017
6,640
12,451
Facts are things proven. Apple has a defect in multiple products and there are many covered under support documents and service programs. Your constant defense to downplay them in multiple posts is why you're often ignored or criticized.

Apple Service Exchange + Repair Extension Programs

There are many others not on the list above and are archived at archive.org because they are no longer provided or being offered for service by Apple.

Forbes MacBook Pro Shutdown Problem

BusinessInsider MacBook Butterfly Keyboard Issues

Verge MacBook Battery Fire Problem

Digital Trends MacBook Pro SSD Failure

Medium MacBook Pro Thermal Throttling

PCMag MacBook Air Logic Board Faulty

VentureBeat MacBook Pro T2 Causing Kernel Panics

ZDNet MacBook Pro Hinge Display Cable Breaking


and so on......................hundreds of thousands of sources with a plethora of examples of multiple different failures in the Apple notebook lineup.
Those get clicks because Apple products are popular. Zero of those post any type of failure rate or precise number of impacted users. They reference the usual anecdotal stories.

I downplay it because Apple ships 300M units of product annually and has amazing quality control. If 50,000 units are impacted, that’s 0.016% failure rate, but those people can make a lot of noise.

Remember iPad Pro “Bendgate?” Yeah, post a picture of a few bent iPads and a video of someone purposely breaking it and you have a story picked up by every tech news outlet. Not impressed. Not an issue. Not even a story anymore and iPad just put up 16% growth.

I’m sure some Macs have broken keyboards. I’m also sure Apple still sells them and waited 4 years to replace it on one model. The failure rates are clearly not alarming.
 
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CHA05 R31GN5

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Oct 31, 2019
165
259
United States
Those get clicks because Apple products are popular. Zero of those post any type of failure rate or precise number of impacted users. They reference the usual anecdotal stories.

I downplay it because Apple ships 300M units of product annually and has amazing quality control. If 50,000 units are impacted, that’s 0.016% failure rate, but those people can make a lot of noise.

Remember iPad Pro “Bendgate?” Yeah, post a picture of a few bent iPads and a video of someone purposely breaking it and you have a story picked up by every tech news outlet. Not impressed. Not an issue. Not even a story anymore and iPad just put up 16% growth.

I’m sure some Macs have broken keyboards. I’m also sure Apple still sells them and waited 4 years to replace it on one model. The failure rates are clearly not alarming.
Everyone one of them are on multiple sites. It's probably a good thing for you that MacRumors opted to not have a downvote feature for posts. You're just wanting to move the post up to keep people from reading the many failures of sorts that affect different Apple MacBooks. You've provided zero proof that any of them are small. Pretty pathetic that you're bought so cheaply to constantly denounce issues on a forum.

Where's your proof?
As of right now, you've provided ZERO proof that these are small.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,526
23,254
The idea that they didnt start working on this in anticipation of is silly. It doesnt mean that Apple wasnt already testing out a Qualcomm modem in a device in the pipeline already.

The idea that Apple can test a Qualcomm 5G modem without being given one is crazy.

The fact that Qualcomm CEO says Apple won't have time to integrate Qualcomm's front end RF confirms Apple wasn't testing any Qualcomm silicon.
 
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44267547

Cancelled
Jul 12, 2016
37,642
42,491
I just pray these iPhones have the iphone 8 form factor. That's what so many people want!

If you’re referring to the size, Actually, quite the opposite. Consumers have gravitated towards larger displays for years now. The minority is not the ‘norm’ when it comes to a smaller form factor is anymore.

Additionally, Apple strategically places some of the the most premium/advanced features in the larger form factors of the iPhones, (Triple lens being an example), Traditionally, if you look at Apples marketing between the iPhone 8 and 2017 iPhone X when it launched, the iPhone 8 probably represented 10% or less of Apples marketing for the iPhone.
 

MattMJB0188

macrumors 68020
Dec 28, 2009
2,032
583
If you’re referring to the size, Actually, quite the opposite. Consumers have gravitated towards larger displays for years now. The minority is not the ‘norm’ when it comes to a smaller form factor is anymore.

Additionally, Apple strategically places some of the the most premium/advanced features in the larger form factors of the iPhones, (Triple lens being an example), Traditionally, if you look at Apples marketing between the iPhone 8 and 2017 iPhone X when it launched, the iPhone 8 probably represented 10% or less of Apples marketing for the iPhone.

I wasn't referring to size. I am wanting them to give us a phone next year in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus form factor. I do not want an OLED screen, an ugly distracting notch, face ID, or no home button. I want to use an iphone that is based off the original design concept... cough cough home button.
 

pika2000

Suspended
Jun 22, 2007
5,587
4,902
So... 5G-ate? Cellgate? Antennagate2? Any other gate possible?

I know some people are simply so h...y for 5G, but this is going to be first gen 5G for Apple, and what have we learn about buying anything first gen of Apple products? I’ll wait until iphone 13 or 14 for my 5G, and by that time, coverage will probably be decent enough.
 

mejsric

macrumors 6502a
Mar 28, 2013
806
1,101
I wasn't referring to size. I am wanting them to give us a phone next year in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus form factor. I do not want an OLED screen, an ugly distracting notch, face ID, or no home button. I want to use an iphone that is based off the original design concept... cough cough home button.

you just buy iPhone 8?
 

Terrinb

macrumors regular
Sep 24, 2015
135
144
Tim Cook set out to change the way Qualcomm fundamentally does business. Qualcomm still does business the same way.

Apple didn't like the "no license, no chips" policy. End result? Apple ponied up $4.5 billion and signed a multi-year license deal. You don't need to sit at the table to figure out who won.

The international trade dispute is the same. All that effort just to get a certain country to buy the same amount of soybeans as before.

That is your take. I suspect both companies got a bit of what they wanted with Apple coming out a bit better.

It was estimated Apple owed close to 9 billion in royalties. If accurate 6.5 billion is a bargain. Further, Apple shaved a few dollars off the per device price. That also is significant. Apple also now deals with Qualcomm directly not through its device manufacturers, which was also a complaint of Apple.

Apple also did have some leverage because Qualcomm was likely going to lose its fight with the FTC and settling with Apple put Qualcomm in a better legal position. Turns out Qualcomm did lose and Apple’s now not actively supporting the government. Qualcomm also was likely going to lose Apple’s big case against Qualcomm and Apple could have delayed the roll out of 5G another year until after that lawsuit came out Apple’s way. Apple also didn’t give up its appeal rights in Germany where Qualcomm enjoyed one of its few victories and forced an injunction on Apple but by all accounts the appeals court was going to side with Apple and Qualcomm was going to have to forfeit a significant bond to Apple.
 
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MacBH928

macrumors G3
May 17, 2008
8,303
3,706
I don't get it, I thought 5G modems are standard chips you add to your phone and it works, no need to customize each phone model for it.
 

Aston441

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2014
2,606
3,934
I dont csre about 5G until AT LEAST 2nd gemeration.

It will be a battery sucker for sure, just like every subsequent update since 2G.
 

Baymowe335

Suspended
Oct 6, 2017
6,640
12,451
Everyone one of them are on multiple sites. It's probably a good thing for you that MacRumors opted to not have a downvote feature for posts. You're just wanting to move the post up to keep people from reading the many failures of sorts that affect different Apple MacBooks. You've provided zero proof that any of them are small. Pretty pathetic that you're bought so cheaply to constantly denounce issues on a forum.

Where's your proof?
As of right now, you've provided ZERO proof that these are small.
Stuff like this spreads. The iPad bend nonsense went viral. It was everywhere. So what? Apple articles get clicks.

If you invested, you’d remember all the bearish Apple articles that cited “supply checks” indicating lower iPhone demand for years, only to be proven wrong by earnings. Every financial news entity ran the story, with zero proof, only rumors. Every iPhone was a flop, dead on arrival. Until it wasn’t. So this stuff spreads like cancer. I assume you see how Apple trades now.

Of course I have proof. Apple did not redesign in all their laptops and took 4 years to even go back to the scissor.

You people have no concept of a 300M unit scale if you think even thousands of complaints is something major.

Ask Samsung what happens when there is a design flaw. You can’t just pretend it doesn’t exist if it’s a large scale and major issue. This was a minor annoyance that impacted some users. Apple took care of them. Apple acknowledges many non big deal issues by helping those impacted. Nature of the business.
 
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PickUrPoison

macrumors G3
Sep 12, 2017
8,131
10,720
Sunnyvale, CA
Um... Where did you get the idea of $7B from, and regardless of what the one time cost of it may be, it is the Total profits retained that matters, so no matter how well they mask this, the earning speaks, their stock prices speaks, look at Qualcomm right now.

I guess the Front End dont have enough time for testing, I do hope Apple pushes it though. Qualcomm in the Tech Day made some very strong case how the future ( 5G and Beyond ) is about the whole package Modem and Front End.

While one might argue Qualcomm's Front End may not be the best right now, it will certainly deliver the best experience with their modem. And it is only a matter of time before Qualcomm bests out all other Front End suppliers.

This also rise an interesting question, how is Apple going to compete?
Of course Qualcomm is pushing their RF front end solution, I’d expect nothing less. But there’s no technical reason other manufacturers can’t come up with as good or even better components, and absolutely no reason to think Qualcomm will ever beat all other suppliers, next year or a decade from now. Maybe, maybe not.

There’s as much magic in working with RF at these frequencies as there is with DSP in baseband modems. In both cases, Qualcomm may or may not have the best solution. For all we know, the small performance difference at low RF signal levels characterized in recent iPhones is an antenna, tuning, switch, filter, amplifier, etc. issue and Intel’s baseband modem is actually better than Qualcomm’s ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

re: your last question, I’m not sure what that means. Compete with what? Android-based premium smartphones? If you’re talking about the RF front end specifically, Apple has licensed Qualcomm’s entire patent portfolio, so I assume they’ll utilize whatever Qualcomm IP they see fit. Or maybe other suppliers will have a better solution and the question will be how can Qualcomm compete. Who knows?
 

Velin

macrumors 68000
Jul 23, 2008
1,988
1,863
Hearst Castle
But there’s no technical reason other manufacturers can’t come up with as good or even better components, and absolutely no reason to think Qualcomm will ever beat all other suppliers, next year or a decade from now.

Others who have pondered the issue disagree with your analysis. Consider the challenges facing Apple, who dropped a billion for Intel's modem business. Just look at the challenges Apple faces in the cellular radio business:

Apple’s new modem business could become a giant money pit

It took Huawei and Samsung eight to 10 years to build a modem that is competitive with Qualcomm ... Apple lacks the infrastructure experience and products that both of those companies have. Intel's modem was significantly behind the competition, and it was struggling in related areas, such as expected battery life and performance in higher bands, in particular the mmWave spectrum, where 5G’s ultra-fast data lives....

Intel's modem business was a financial wasteland. The last time Intel shared financial results from its modem unit was in 2014 — and it was a $4 billion loss. If the bottom line had considerably improved, you can bet it would have been disclosed....

[Competitor] has not actively participated in the 5G standard or the standards that came before ... there are many nuances in features and details to understand how the next advances will work....

5G isn’t just about modems, but about a complete system. The acquisition will help it with tuning the operating system to the silicon, but a big part of making 5G work is in the radio frequency (RF) and baseband expertise, which are important in dealing with 5G’s larger spectrum. This was part of the challenge facing Intel. Apple will have to rapidly gain or acquire this challenging skillset to be able to make the complete 5G system work or find itself in the same situation.

Interoperability is a final challenge. Qualcomm has been handling Apple’s interoperability testing, which makes sure that the systems on a chip (SoC) are certified for the various networks around the world. Now Apple will have to do it on its own. The company doesn't have the long history of data from measuring all these wireless environments so it can fix issues and refine algorithms to optimize performance. Of note, Apple likely does not have access to Qualcomm's source code, which Apple used to optimize both Intel and Qualcomm modems for performance and battery life.

Contrary to your conclusion, this article raises several factually valid reasons why it could be an enormous challenge -- engineering, technical, and financial -- for competitors to "come up with" "better components."
 
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CHA05 R31GN5

Suspended
Oct 31, 2019
165
259
United States
Stuff like this spreads. The iPad bend nonsense went viral. It was everywhere. So what? Apple articles get clicks.

If you invested, you’d remember all the bearish Apple articles that cited “supply checks” indicating lower iPhone demand for years, only to be proven wrong by earnings. Every financial news entity ran the story, with zero proof, only rumors. Every iPhone was a flop, dead on arrival. Until it wasn’t. So this stuff spreads like cancer. I assume you see how Apple trades now.

Of course I have proof. Apple did not redesign in all their laptops and took 4 years to even go back to the scissor.

You people have no concept of a 300M unit scale if you think even thousands of complaints is something major.

Ask Samsung what happens when there is a design flaw. You can’t just pretend it doesn’t exist if it’s a large scale and major issue. This was a minor annoyance that impacted some users. Apple took care of them. Apple acknowledges many non big deal issues by helping those impacted. Nature of the business.
That's still not proof. People want numbers, facts, data, or anything besides your opinion. That's all you've been giving is your exaggerated opinion. You were all about asking for proof. I and many others see you have nothing.
Where's your proof?
 

Gutwrench

Suspended
Jan 2, 2011
4,603
10,530
I wasn't referring to size. I am wanting them to give us a phone next year in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus form factor. I do not want an OLED screen, an ugly distracting notch, face ID, or no home button. I want to use an iphone that is based off the original design concept... cough cough home button.

Please keep up. On MR ‘form factor‘ and ‘price point‘ are sexy synonyms for size and price respectively.

They do not mean size, shape, and other physical characteristics or a point on a scale where a product might be marketed.
 
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