Longtime Apple hardware engineering executive Rubén Caballero has left the company, The Information reports. Caballero was in charge of working with suppliers to integrate modems into Apple’s smartphones, and was spearheading its efforts in the 5G space.
The news comes at an interesting time, given all the drama surrounding Apple’s legal battles and subsequent settlement with smartphone modem giant Qualcomm. And shortly after the deal was announced, Intel issued a statement saying it would be exiting the space.
Caballero joined Apple in 2005, and his name is listed as a contributor on a number of wireless technology patents. It’s unknown why he decided to leave the company some 14 years later, but The Information says Apple had recently moved to restructure its chip team.
The first 5G iPhone is slated for 2020, with modems expected to be sourced from Qualcomm and Samsung.
Source: The Information