Apple iPhone to get LTE modem from Intel

Rumors are swirling the web that a next-generation iPhone will feature Intel's new 7360 LTE modem instead of a solution designed by Qualcomm. VentureBeat writes this phone is expected to make it to market in 2016 and says Apple engineers have been making frequent trips to Munch, Germany to work with Intel engineers on readying the Intel LTE chip for the iPhone.

The Intel 7360 LTE modem supports 450Mbps bandwidth and Category 9/10 LTE and 3X carrier aggregation. Industry analysts claim phone makers are impressed by the chip's performance and power efficiency.

The Intel facility in Munich is the former home of Infineon’s communications chip business, which Intel acquired back in 2010. It’s now the seat for research and development of Intel’s next generation of LTE chips.

Infineon once produced the 3G modem chips for iPhones at the Munich facility, but Apple quickly stopped sourcing the chips from Infineon after Intel bought the company.

One of our sources said that Intel has been willing to go a long way to get its LTE chips into Apple phones. This might include high levels of integration with Apple’s A(x) processor.