In a bid to decrease dependency on chip makers like Qualcomm, Apple could soon develop baseband chips in-house for iOS devices like iPhone and the Cellular iPads, according to a report from Digitimes.
Baseband chips are used to attain cellular radio signals, so it’s quite an essential component for the iPhones. Currently, Qualcomm produces these chips for Apple via TSMC.
Once the design and development is complete, Apple will reportedly contract Samsung Electronics and Globalfoundries to manufacture these chips for them. It is said that this will take effect starting from 2015, so things will continue as normal with this year’s iPhone and cellular iPads. The baseband chips will be developed and produced separately from the primary system-on-chip (A series), which Apple is already developing and designing in-house.
Apple has long been trying to develop many components in its R&D facility in Cupertino to remain independent. The company is working with GTA Technologies for the production of sapphire glass displays in large quantities with a dedicated manufacturing unit opening in Arizona soon.
It acquired Passif Semiconductor in August last year, which is a company that specializes in low power wireless chips, sparking off rumors of an Apple wearable device launching soon.
[Via DigiTimes]
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