April 2020 • Macworld 71especially since Qualcomm is basically the only
game in town.
But after Apple scooped up Intel’s smartphone
modem business scraps, reliance on Qualcomm
isn’t part of Apple’s long-term plans. But the
X60 shows that Qualcomm doesn’t see that path
as an inevitability. By jumping to 5nm with the
third-generation of its 5G modem, Qualcomm is
delivering a smaller and more efficient modem,
which just happens to be the very reasons why
Apple would build its own modem in the first place.
A smaller, more efficient modem would help Apple
keep the iPhone thin without sacrificing battery life.
There’s also the issue of the antenna. A recent
report from Fast Company detailed Apple’s effortsThe X60 modem is
expected to make its
way into Android phones
and iPhones in 2021