Apple is continuing to run into troubles in its attempt to develop a 5G modem to replace Qualcomm's 5G modems in the iPhone and other products, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple in 2019 acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone business and started in on a serious effort to develop its own modem hardware, but the project has suffered multiple setbacks. Apple is still "years away" from creating a chip that is able to perform as well as or better than chips from rival Qualcomm. The Cupertino company initially wanted to have an in-house modem chip ready to go by 2024, a goal that could not be met, and now Gurman says that Apple is also going to miss an extended…

The intuitive interface guides the user where to point their iPhone to connect to a satellite. With iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you’re off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years after the activation of an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro. Ron Amadeo for Ars Technica: ‎ One of the iPhone 14’s major new features was “Emergency SOS via satellite.” During normal usage, smartphones struggle to connect to something as far away as a satellite, but it’s possible to send out tiny bits of data under…

Like previous EarFun releases, the new buds nail high-quality sound and offer premium features. But noise cancellation seemed "meh." (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with Qualcomm's latest cellular modem, according to technology analyst Jeff Pu, enabling faster and more power efficient 5G connectivity for the devices. In a research note this week with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem. However, he expects the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to retain the Snapdragon X70 modem used for the entire iPhone 15 lineup. Apple has typically used the same Qualcomm modem across all models for each generation of iPhones, excluding the low-end iPhone SE, so this would be a change in strategy for…

Qualcomm today outlined its plans for its next-generation chips designed for PCs. The Snapdragon X series is set to come out in 2024, and Qualcomm claims that it will mark an "inflection point for the PC industry" thanks to the "next-level performance" brought by the new chips. Snapdragon X chips will use the Qualcomm Oryon CPU, which is built on the chip technology that it got when it purchased Nuvia. Founded by ex-Apple chip designers, Nuvia designed custom Arm-based chips that are expected to bring Apple silicon-like performance to PCs with improved power and efficiency. In addition to improved efficiency, Qualcomm's upcoming PC chips include on-device AI processing and 5G connectivity. As noted by The Verge, Arm has sued Qualcomm…

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus Apple’s iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max all sport Qualcomm’s new X70 modem for improved 5G performance. iFixit’s Shahram Mokhtari via X: ‎ A lot of people have asked whether the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus are still using last years Qualcomm X65 modem or the new X70 seen in the 15 Pro’s. Here’s your answer. Apple didn’t just throw last years Pro logic boards into this years baseline models. They upgraded them too. If the 15 Pro benchmarks are any indication, the X70 should provide a notable improvement in power consumption and signal acquisition over long distances. https://speedsmart.net/blog/post/2005/iPhone-15-Pro-up-to-24-Faster-5G-Download-Speeds It also shows that Apple’s baseline models aren’t…