Business / Intel Says Their 5G Modems For Phones Won't be Available Until 2020, Which Could Hurt Apple iPhone

Intel Corp executives have confirmed that the company's 5G modem chips will not appear in mobile phones until 2020. Intel’s timing on modem chips means that Apple will not have an iPhone with 5G capabilities in 2019. Apple would not have a 5G iPhone ready until 2020. Apple remains Intel’s only major modem chip customer now. Intel has said its 5G modem chip will be available later this year.

Intel Corp executives have confirmed that the company's 5G modem chips will not appear in mobile phones until 2020, raising the possibility its biggest customer, Apple Inc, will be more than a year behind rivals in delivering a device that uses the faster networks. Intel has said its 5G modem chip will be available later this year, but it never indicated when it believed products will arrive for consumers. Rivera said non-consumer 5G products, such as networking gear, will appear later this year.

It was unclear whether Intel’s timing on modem chips means that Apple will not have an iPhone with 5G capabilities in 2019. Bloomberg previously reported that Apple would not have a 5G iPhone ready until 2020. Apple executives have held talks with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and MediaTek Inc over 5G modem chips for iPhones to be released this year, but the outcome of those talks is unknown. Apple earlier this year moved it