Intel stated in April that it would withdraw from 5G phone modems, and Apple supposedly wants to absorb the company's talent and intellectual property to develop such chips on its own.

 

Apple has long been buying Intel's chips for iPhones since 2016, looking to limit its dependence on fellow U.S. supplier Qualcomm, with which it had a conflict over royalties. But Intel struggled to find other major customers, as it principally focuses on chips for computers and data centers.

 

'For Apple this would be a clear 'doubling down' on 5G, which remains at the centerpiece of the company's smartphone future, with these chip assets giving Apple further control over its supply chain and core chip design,' said Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities. Intel's determination to leave the money-losing business came hours after Apple and Qualcomm settled the royalty dispute. Qualcomm assented to supply Apple with 5G modem chips for iPhones to be sold in 2020. At the moment, Apple will seek to catch up with Chinese and South Korean rivals' 5G phones by sourcing from Qualcomm.

 

However, buying the operations from Intel would allow Apple to keep its options open and fashion its own chips in the future. The WSJ's report on Monday said the Apple-Intel talks could reach a decision over the coming week. Intel denied Nikkei's request for comments, while Apple did not directly respond.

 

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