Inside Apple's Spectacular Failure to Build a Key Part for Its New iPhones

[Zorro]

The company set out to design a silicon chip that would allow it to cut ties with Qualcomm, a longtime supplier and bitter foe

The new iPhone models unveiled last week are missing a proprietary silicon chip that Apple had spent several years and billions of dollars trying to develop in time for the rollout.

The 2018 marching orders from Apple AAPL -2.00%decrease; red down pointing triangle Chief Executive Tim Cook to design and build a modem chip—a part that connects iPhones to wireless carriers—led to the hiring of thousands of engineers. The goal was to sever Apple’s grudging dependence on Qualcomm, a longtime chip supplier that dominates the modem market.

The obstacles to finishing the chip were largely of Apple’s own making, according to former company engineers and executives familiar with the project.

Apple had planned to have its modem chip ready to use in the new iPhone models. But tests late last year found the chip was too slow and prone to overheating. Its circuit board was so big it would take up half an iPhone, making it unusable.

https://www.wsj.com/tech/apple-iphone-modem-chip-failure-6fe33d19?st=9q2j7lgokilywdx&reflink=share_mobilewebshare

[Crowman2009]

1. An iPhone costs more than my entire home entertainment center.

[Skittles]

4. I can't believe people will pay that much for a phone

[4dog]

2. Is there a non-paywall version of this story? nt

[hunter]

3. Here's a summary in the Verge:

https://www.theverge.com/2023/9/21/23883565/apple-5g-modem-failure-inside-story

[4dog]

5. Thanks

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

https://archive.ph/i7KtJ