Apple in talks to buy Intel’s 5G modem business for $1 billion

Apple may buy Intel’s 5G modem business next week for $1 billion, reported by Wall Street Journal on Monday, 22 July.

Earlier in April, Intel announced to exit 5G mobile business after Apple surprisingly moved to Qualcomm’s modems, once again, in its phones. Currently, Intel is providing LTE modem chips for Apple iPhones, but when Apple and Qualcomm settled a legal battle, earlier this year in April over patent licensing practices, both companies announced that Apple would again start buying Qualcomm’s modem technology.

According to the Bloomberg report, due to Apple and Qualcomm settlement, Intel began searching a buyer for its modem business. Apple reportedly in talks to buy the modem business. Apple is the only major customer for Intel’s modems, and almost every other major Android phone relies on either Qualcomm or in-house solutions.

The deal would give Apple access to engineering work and talent behind Intel’s years' long push to develop modem chips for the crucial next generation of wireless technology known as 5G, potentially saving years of development work.