Intel’s announcement raises the possibility Apple will be more than a year behind rivals in delivering a device that uses the faster networks.
Intel executives said on Friday its 5G modem chips will not appear in mobile phones until 2020, raising the possibility its biggest customer, Apple, will be more than a year behind rivals in delivering a device that uses the faster networks.
Sandra Rivera, who oversees Intel’s networking chip business, said at a media event in Palo Alto, California, that sample 5G modem chips will ship to customers this year but that Intel does not expect consumer « products in the market » until 2020.
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.
