Apple Will Buy Intel's Phone Chip Division for $1 Billion to Supercharge Its 5G Efforts

The purchase comes despite Qualcomm's multiyear deal to supply iPhone modems

Apple confirmed Thursday that it will buy Intel’s smartphone modem division for $1 billion, adding more resources to the tech giant’s bid to build in-house the chips that power its iPhones.

The deal, expected to close by the end of this year, includes 2,200 former Intel employees as well as patents, equipment and leases. Although Apple agreed in April to resume buying phone chips from Qualcomm as part of a legal settlement, the purchase could fuel its longer-term ambitions for more control over the hardware that will connect its devices to the next generation of wireless service, 5G.

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