Apple’s iPhone 12 may use an Apple-designed 5G antenna. The company has decided to design a custom antenna for this year’s 5G iPhone because Qualcomm’s QTM 525 millimeter-wave antenna module doesn’t fit into Apple designers’ sleek new casing, Fast Company reports, citing “a source with knowledge of Apple’s plans.”
Apple typically designs on several tracks, and it’s concurrently working on another design that uses both the Qualcomm modem and antenna. It could default to this option later this year, our source said. But that would require Apple to settle for a slightly thicker iPhone than it wants. Qualcomm has said that its QTM 525 antenna module will “support 5G smartphone designs sleeker than 8 millimeters thick.”
The company has designed its own antennas before, with less than perfect results. Most famously, its antenna design in the iPhone 4 was blamed for dropped calls when you held the phone in a certain way.
MacDailyNews Take: Then don’t hold it wrong! Sheesh. 😉
Apple doesn’t just want to use its own antenna for industrial design reasons. In general, the company wants as few Qualcomm parts in the iPhone as possible. As our source put it, Apple still feels it’s “getting screwed on royalties” by Qualcomm.
MacDailyNews Take: Good Jobs, don’t let us have another Antennagate as the all-important 5G super cycle looms. With years of experience now, we bet Apple can do this antenna, and better than anyone, too. Plus, the quicker Apple can dump Qualcomm for good, the better!
Beloved, most-esteemed interns: Commence TTK! Prost, everyone!
Ger ready 5-4-3-2-1 my 5G gets -2G!
The iPhone for this year already in the can done finished, there is nothing to change.
While Apple kissed and madeup with Qualcomm, you KNOW there is a secret project deep inside Apple to design their own modem that is smaller, more effecent, and doesn’t allow Qualcomm to extort Apple and others anymore.
Apple designed antenna. I’ll believe it when they announce the “how to hold it” masterclass.