However, Intel could win orders for the 2017 iPhone models as Apple is searching for additional modem chip suppliers apart from Qualcomm, the sources noted. Specifically, Apple seeks documents regarding whether Qualcomm had or has a license or is or was otherwise authorized to practice some or all of the patents that have been asserted by Ericsson against Apple.
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If an earlier report is correct – and based on the source’s track record, it almost certainly is – Apple’s next-generation iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are less than a month away from being unveiled. The functionalities accused by Ericsson in these actions generally relate to the chips supplied by Qualcomm for incorporation into various iPhone and iPad models.
The ex parte order is an attempt by Apple to prove that it is Qualcomm’s responsibility to implement all the proper framework and patent licensing for the chips Apple orders from it. It is possible that Apple thought Qualcomm had the relevant licensing agreement, and now seeks to prove just that.
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Qualcomm is partnering with TSMC to supply 100% of the modem chips for use in the new iPhones slated for launch in September 2015, the sources said. These rumors first originated earlier in March when sources of VentureBeat claimed that Apple’s upcoming flagship phones might make use of an Intel XMM 7360 LTE modem, and it was last week when Northland Capital Markets’ Gus Richard predicted that Intel may have won up to 50% of orders for the iPhone 6s’ modem. Sources say that while the highly anticipated iPhone 6s will still use a Qualcomm modem, Apple might decide to rely on more than one supplier in 2017, allowing for Intel to join the party with its own chip. I don’t know, but the timing of this latest EX PARTE request from Apple being in sync with this latest rumor is oddly convenient. Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC) has already reiterated that XMM 7360 LTE solution is compliant with Ericsson Samsung and others. Comments are reviewed daily from 4am to 6pm PST and sporadically over the weekend.
