★ A Tale of Two Modems
The author contrasts two modems, noting that cellular download speed and reception are nearly solved for their needs, while battery life remains a significant issue.
Background
- Daring Fireball is a popular blog by John Gruber, known for sharp commentary on Apple, tech, and the industry. Gruber coined the term "Markdown."
- The "Tale of Two Modems" refers to the shift in iPhone models (likely around the 2025–2027 period) where Apple started using its own in-house cellular modem chips instead of Qualcomm's.
- Qualcomm has long dominated smartphone modems. Apple acquired Intel's modem business in 2019 to build its own, aiming to reduce reliance on Qualcomm and improve integration.
- Early Apple modems reportedly had trade-offs: acceptable speed/reception but poorer power efficiency compared to Qualcomm's mature designs.
- This matters because modem efficiency directly affects iPhone battery life — a top user complaint. If Apple's modem uses more power for the same connectivity, it could offset gains from better processors or larger batteries.
- The piece argues that for most users, 5G/4G speeds are already "good enough," so the real battle is now about how little power the modem uses while idle or streaming, not peak throughput.