5G is the new buzzword for technology. And it is expected that the technology will hit the mainstream within the next couple of years. Intel as one of the pioneers of the technology, has announced a brand new 5G modem that, wait for it, is expected to power Apple’s first 5G iPhone.
Intel has announced that its XMM 8160 modem will be released to hardware manufacturers, as early as the latter half of 2019. This should give manufacturers enough time to release the first 5G devices by sometime in 2020. Intel however is not limiting the XMM 8160 5G to smartphones, and it is expected that the chip will power a whole slew of devices ranging from phones, to PCs, to modems.
Once operational, the modems are expected to provide speeds of up to…..wait for it….6GBs per seconds. Intel’s new chip will also offer support for legacy technologies including 4G, 3G, and 2G. The chip will also offer support for the millimeter wave, as well as the lower-bands of the spectrum.
Meanwhile, Intel is not the only company working on the 5G technology. Qualcomm is working in association with multiple top-notch companies — including Samsung, Nokia, Sony, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, HTC, LG, Asus, ZTE, Sharp, Fujitsu, OnePlus — to bring the 5G technology to the fore. Several OEMs including Huawei and Samsung are also working on in-house 5G technology.
The one thing working strongly in Intel’s favor however, is the fact that Apple has decided to make the switch to the company’s 5G modems. The Cupertino giant’s 2018 iPhone XS and XR devices already feature Intel chips, and apparently, the company will also leverage while making the transition to 5G.
