Apple's self-developed baseband chip (modem) is already a semi-public "secret". Recently, there was another news from the supply chain that Apple would use TSMC 4nm process technology to produce 5g baseband chips for iPhone from 2023. Meanwhile, apple is developing its own RF and millimeter wave components and power management chips for baseband chips to enhance the 5g performance of the iPhone. The last gap in closed-loop ecology "Closed loop ecology integrating software and hardware" is the development model Apple has always adhered to. To this end, Apple has developed its own IOS, MacOS, tvos, watchos and other operating systems, and developed a series and M series SOCS for iPhone product line and MacBook product line respectively. After basically integrating the software and hardware that affect the operation ability of the product, the baseband chip has become a gap that apple can't ignore in the "closed loop". Baseband chip is a component to realize the modulation and demodulation functions required for communication, which directly affects the networking ability, communication ability, data transmission rate, power consumption and other indicators of mobile phones, always online PCs, automobiles and other terminal equipment. Such important components have always been outside the control of Apple's self-developed system, and have repeatedly made apple "upset". From 2011 to 2016, Qualcomm was the exclusive supplier of Apple iPhone baseband chips. Since 2016, Apple has introduced Intel baseband chips into iphone7 to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm. Subsequently, apple believed that Qualcomm charged excessive patent licensing fees, and the two sides fell into a two-year patent dispute. In 2018, the iPhone exclusively uses Intel's modem. However, there is a gap between Intel's baseband technology and Qualcomm. The test launched by wireless signal testing agency cellular insights shows that the signal performance of iphone7 equipped with Qualcomm baseband exceeds that of Intel baseband version by more than 30%. On April 16, 2019, apple and Qualcomm announced a settlement, and Qualcomm will continue to supply chips to apple. A few hours later, Intel announced its withdrawal from 5g smartphone modem business. It seems that Apple's baseband chip has returned to its original starting point. However, the "toss" with Qualcomm and Intel has strengthened Apple's determination to develop its own baseband chip. Can it be "once and for all" On the road of baseband chip, apple is full of ambition and has been preparing for it for a long time. During the patent tug of war with Qualcomm, apple transferred the modem chip team from the external supply chain department to the hardware technology department, under the responsibility of Johny srouji, who led the development of Apple's first chip A4. In July 2019, Apple announced the acquisition of Intel's smartphone modem business for us $1 billion, and 2200 Intel engineers joined apple. Intel engineers also came to apple with about 17000 wireless technology patents from Intel, ranging from cellular communication standards, modem architecture and modem computing. Information shows that Apple's modem is expected to debut in 2023. Akash palkhiwala, chief financial officer of Qualcomm, once said that only 20% of Apple's iPhone models shipped in 2023 use Qualcomm 5g modem, suggesting that Apple will produce self-developed baseband chips on a large scale. Apple's baseband chip division was acquired from Intel, and a large part of Intel's wireless technology came from the acquisition of Infineon's wireless business division. Since neither Intel nor Infineon has a firm foothold in the highland of baseband chips, can Apple successfully develop baseband chips comparable to Qualcomm? "The difficulty of baseband chip is that communication technology is a technology accumulated for a long time. 5g baseband chip should not only meet 5g standard, but also be compatible with 4G, 3G, 2G, 1g and other communication protocols." Sheng Linghai, vice president of Gartner research, pointed out to China Electronics News. Although it is not easy to overcome, once the self-study is successful, it can be described as "once and for all". "The gross profit margin of Qualcomm chips is generally more than 40%, and the brand premium is high. If Apple's self-developed baseband chips can be mass produced successfully and meet the performance standards, the self-research association is a more cost-effective choice, which only involves R & D and manufacturing costs, and the cost can be shared equally with the volume of Apple products," Sheng Linghai said. In addition to mobile phones, Apple's eager virtual reality, automobile and other businesses are inseparable from 5g communication capability. If Apple realizes "baseband freedom", it will improve the quality control ability of Apple ecology and the expansion ability of new business. However, how to make up for the long-term accumulation gap with Qualcomm and other enterprises in the communication field and provide equivalent user experience is still testing Apple's R & D strength. (Xinhua News Agency)