Apple webpages with iPhone 16E ads are shown on mobile phones for illustration photos.
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Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon told CNBC its latest modem will create a big distance for performance. applemaking its first foray into technology.
A modem is an important component of a smartphone that connects devices to a mobile network. Qualcomm is one of the world’s largest modem suppliers and has been the go-to company for Apple’s iPhones for many years.
However, in 2019, Apple purchased Intel’s modem business with the view that it would design its own modem in-house, just like its smartphone processors.
It took Apple a while to release its first modem, and it quieted down last month with the launch of the iPhone 16E. The cellular modem is called C1.
This week, Qualcomm unveiled its latest high-end modem, the X85. In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Amon touted an improved modem performance, suggesting that it would create a big bay between it and Apple.
“This is the first modem with so many AI and actually increases the range of performance of the modem, allowing the modem to handle weaker signals,” Amon told CNBC.
“What it does would set a huge delta between the performance of a premium Android device and the iOS device when comparing what Qualcomm can do with what Apple is doing.”
The iPhone 16E is the cheapest smartphone from Apple in the latest range. Several reports suggest that Apple is working on modems for high-end iPhones.
Amon reiterated a statement it previously made that he expects Qualcomm to not provide a modem to Apple in 2027.
Amon has tackled potential technological advancements in Apple’s modems, saying components are the key to AI and Qualcomm can handle it.
“Whenever modems are relevant, there’s always a place for Qualcomm technology,” Amon says.
“In the age of AI, modems will be more important than ever, and I think it will promote consumer preferences about wanting the best modem possible on a computer that is always in hand,” Amon added.
