As Apple iPhone fans pore over “iPhone 13” rumors, investors in Apple suppliers, too, are scrutinizing the rumor mill’s output. On Tuesday, Bloomberg News reported the new iPhones will feature new video and camera features, a faster Apple-designed chip to power the gadget, and new screen technology (the latter of which is perhaps reserved for the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Prom Max models).
For the 5G modems themselves, the iPhone 12 contained chips made by Qualcomm (QCOM), which suggests it too will likely supply the iPhone’s 5G wireless chip—at least for now. Apple has reportedly launched its own effort to design wireless radios, so that may change in the future.
Skyworks Solutions (SWKS) and Qorvo (QRVO) make radio-related iPhone components, too, and have both been historic suppliers. Broadcom (AVGO) also has made wireless chips and other iPhone components.
For the new camera, it’s possible Texas Instruments (TXN) could play a role, as it has supplied the power-management chip for previous iterations of the iPhone camera. Its chips that help with battery-charging have also been spotted in past phones.
We know Apple is designing the chips that power its phones… Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSM), has made the chip in the past, and it is all but certain to be making the latest iPhone processors.
MacDailyNews Take: Barclays chip analyst Blayne Curtis in June made the case to buy mobile phone-related chip stocks heading into the coming Apple iPhone 13 launch, Eric J. Savitz reported for Barron’s. For the long run, the analyst favorite stock is mobile-phone radio-chip company Qorvo as he believes that Qorvo’s business is more balanced than those of peers.
