Qualcomm recently announced its Snapdragon X70 5G modem, which not only brings high downlink and uplink speeds but being manufactured on a cutting-edge architecture means it will not chew through battery life as aggressively. Unfortunately, a new disassembly video of the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max shows that Apple’s latest flagships do not sport Qualcomm’s latest baseband chip.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 Is Found in Apple’s Latest iPhones, Which Was Qualcomm’s First 10Gbps 5G Modem for Smartphones
A YouTube channel called 微机分WekiHome performed the disassembly, showing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G modem as part of the innards, meaning that both the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max support mmWave networks in the U.S., like previous versions. Though the following is not confirmed, it is possible that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are treated to the same 5G modem unless Apple went a step further to differentiate between the four models.
Apple probably did not source the Snapdragon X70 from Qualcomm because the part was not ready yet, and even if it were, it would likely not be used in the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max due to its higher price. Unlike the majority of its competitors, Apple does not have a habit of switching to the latest cellular standards, which is actually prudent practice since there are diminishing returns of using Qualcomm’s latest and greatest baseband chip, not to mention added cost.
Teardown showing Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X65 5G modem
For instance, the Snapdragon X65 and Snapdragon X70 both support mmWave networks and a maximum theoretical download speed limit of 10Gbps. There would likely be fewer power-saving differences between the two chips, which would explain why the iPhone 14 Pro Max outlasts the iPhone 13 Pro Max in a previous battery test, despite the latest flagship sporting a smaller battery than its predecessor.
The A16 Bionic and the addition of LPDDR5 would also have a role to play in upping that battery life, so there are benefits to using an assortment of power-efficient components, including the Snapdragon X65.
You might like to check out another teardown.
The post iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max Do Not Feature Qualcomm’s Latest 5G Modem, but Get Wider mmWave Support by Omar Sohail appeared first on Wccftech.
