Qualcomm

Qualcomm is “assuming” that Apple will give LTE modem orders for iPhone 7 to rival Intel

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2016

Shares of Qualcomm have dropped two percent after CEO Steve Mollenkopf told analysts on an earnings call Wednesday that it may lose some of its “biggest customers” as they are going with a “second source,” Bloomberg reported.

The fabless chip maker's been Apple's exclusive supplier of LTE modems for over three years now.

That's about to change soon: Mollenkopf is now “assuming” that a major customer will give orders to a rival, indicating a potential loss of business for the company. Analysts said they think the customer is Apple and the rival is Intel.

Rumor: iPhone 7s to run Intel-made modem chip

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2015

A claimed logic board that recently leaked strongly indicated that Apple's upcoming 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' smartphone upgrades will use an improved Qualcomm modem chip, part of its ‘Gobi’ modem platform, with 2x faster LTE download speeds at 300Mbps.

But Apple could be looking to diversify its suppliers two years from now by adding Intel to its supply chain for baseband modems, if sources who spoke with DigiTimes are to be trusted.

Qualcomm’s new technology could allow wireless charging through the iPhone’s metal body

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

Apple has patented a few wireless charging methods, but thus far it's only implemented inductive-based wireless charging on the Apple Watch. We're still required to connect our iPhones to chargers and Apple's top dogs have made it clear in the past that existing solutions aren't really the right answer to wireless charging.

But a new technology that Apple supplier Qualcomm unveiled earlier this week could pave the way for wireless charging on iPhones as it allows wireless charging for devices with metal exteriors.

Not only that, but Qualcomm's solution can simultaneously charge multiple devices with different power requirements, say your iPhone and Apple Watch.

Leaked iPhone 6s logic board shows Qualcomm MDM9635M chip for up to 300Mbps LTE speed

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 1, 2015

Apple's next iPhone should double LTE download speeds from a theoretical maximum of 150Mbps on the present-generation iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus up to 300Mbps on the next-generation 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus,' according to a purported logic board leaked by 9to5Mac.

A photo of the alleged 'iPhone 6s' logic board shows a chip identified as the MDM9635M module from Qualcomm, part of its 'Gobi' modem platform.

Samsung Galaxy S6 won’t be using Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip due to overheating

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 4, 2016

News broke today that Samsung's upcoming flagship, the fabled Galaxy S6, won't be using Qualcomm's new mobile system-on-a-chip, the Snapdragon 810.

As Re/code noted, the revelation came indirectly, via Qualcomm's earnings call today, as the firm had to tell investors “a large customer's flagship device” won't be shipping with the Snapdragon 810 inside.

Lost business has forced Qualcomm to cut its outlook for the fiscal year slightly. The semiconductor maker did not say which client, and why, has dropped the Snapdragon 810.

However, a week ago Bloomberg learned that Samsung had opted to drop the 810 from its upcoming flagship due to overheating problems.

TSMC exec says Apple leading move to 64-bit smartphone chips, hints A8 chip production

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple is responsible for the mobile industry's move to 64-bit processors within smartphones after it announced the iPhone 5s in September, according to Mark Liu, co-CEO of major chip company TSMC.

This is something many industry pundits have been whispering for sometime, so it's interesting to hear from such a higher-up in the chip business. Liu, speaking at a TSMC quarterly results meeting, said it pretty bluntly...

Qualcomm employee: Apple’s 64-bit A7 chip ‘set off panic in the industry’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

In October, Qualcomm’s chief marketing officer Anand Chandrasekher made headlines when he commented in an interview that Apple's new 64-bit A7 chip was just a 'marketing gimmick' that added 'zero benefit' for the customer.

Qualcomm was quick to backtrack on the executive's remarks, and according to a new report, that's not what it was thinking at all. Speaking with a source inside the company, Dan Lyons says Apple's 64-bit chip rocked the industry...

Qualcomm launches Gimbal, its own $5 iBeacons

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

iBeacons, an Apple indoor positioning system based on Low Energy Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) wireless technology packed inside tiny transmitters, seems to be picking up steam as of recently. Although Apple never conceived iBeacons technology to be platform-dependent, current installations are limited to sending push notifications right to the Lock screen of nearby iPhone, iPod touch or iPad devices.

These alerts use a combination of physical location, activity, time and personal interests and typically include various marketing messages, such as store discounts, freebies and so forth.

Surprisingly enough, Apple's supplier Qualcomm has now entered the game with the Gimbal, its own iBeacons-compatible platform which promises to bring location sensing to a micro-location level at an affordable price...

Qualcomm exec’s career suffers from ‘A7 is a marketing gimmick’ comment

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 27, 2013

Qualcomm's marketing chief has been reassigned after dismissing Apple's new 64-bit A7 processor as a 'marketing gimmick.' The chipmaker's former Chief Marketing Officer has also been removed from Qualcomm's leadership page. Instead, Anand Chandrasekher was put in charge of a broadly-worded "exploration of certain enterprise related initiatives."

Earlier this month, Chandrasekher called the 64-bit A7 processor "a marketing gimmick" with zero consumer benefit. The A7 now powers Apple's new iPhone 5s and iPad Air. The comment forced Qualcomm to publicly rebuke its marketing head for essentially denying reality...

Qualcomm backtracks on ’64-bit A7 is a marketing gimmick’ claims

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Last week, Qualcomm's CMO Anand Chandrasekher made headlines for comments he made during an interview regarding Apple's new A7 processor. He called the chip a 'marketing gimmick,' and said 64-bit holds no real benefit for users.

But pundits were quick to challenge Chandrasekher, pointing to apps and games with A7 support as proof that the 64-bit architecture holds value. And Qualcomm must agree, because it has issued a statement backtracking on the claims...

Qualcomm exec says Apple’s 64-Bit A7 chip is a ‘marketing gimmick’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

In a recent interview with Techworld, Qualcomm's chief marketing officer Anand Chandrasekher told the publication that he thinks that Apple's 64-bit A7 processor is just a 'marketing gimmick' and that it adds 'zero benefit' for the customer.

The executive's remarks follow several weeks of discussion on the processor, which is the first 64-bit chip to land in a smartphone, from all corners of the tech world. Here's why he thinks it's more of a marketing stunt than a technical enhancement...

Apple said to be using Qualcomm Snapdragon SoC in upcoming budget iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ March 8, 2013

If Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal, and oh, I don't know, about a dozen other outlets are to be believed, Apple is going to introduce a lower-cost iPhone this year. It's said to feature a hybrid metal/plastic shell, and retail for less than $300.

Outside of those few details, though, we know very little about the handset. But a new report out of China this morning allegedly has new intel on the device, claiming it will use a Qualcomm-made SoC and go into production next month...