According to the latest rumors, the iPhone 2018 lineup will feature a great boost in internet speed as Apple is reportedly making a step towards gigabit LTE connectivity. However, the modem that will make this network boost happen may not be supplied by Qualcomm, a long-time partner of the Cupertino-based tech firm. Instead, the upcoming iPhone devices will make use of modems from MediaTek.
As reported by DigiTimes, the iPhone 2018 handsets will boast gigabit LTE technology powered by Intel and MediaTek modems. It appears that Intel will remain as Apple's supplier for certain parts of the new iPhone units, leaving Qualcomm out of the picture. To note, Apple and Qualcomm are known to have issues that led to legal actions, which is why it is not surprising that the former will drop Qualcomm from its future projects.
Intel is one of the biggest device parts supplier today, although when it comes to gigabit LTE creation, the company is said to be lagging behind. According to Phone Arena, Intel has lower market shares in terms of wireless modems. With this, some of the modems to be used in iPhone 2018 handsets will be supplied by MediaTek. The Chinese chip maker is known to deliver great performance in gigabit LTE, as evidenced by the superb internet connectivity of Huawei Mate 10 Pro with a stunning 1.2Gbps speed.
The name of the next iPhone flagship is still up in the air, with reports suggesting that the iPhone X succesor will be known as iPhone 9, iPhone XS, or iPhone XI (read as iPhone 11). Although, the latest scoop from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states that the 2018 iPhone will showcase an antenna upgrade to get faster LTE upload and download speeds.
According to Kuo, the iPhone 2018 will have four antenna modules support or 4x4 MIMO standard. To compare with the current iPhone models, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X only feature two antennas or 2x2 MIMO standard. The iPhone 2018's 4x4 MIMO atenna boost will allow a more reliable and uninterrupted internet session.
