Apple and Qualcomm Delay the Inevitable

Apple and Qualcomm are like a couple you’re certain will eventually get divorced but, for one reason or another, they keep patching things up, postponing the inevitable. Monday brought news of the latest peace treaty between the two companies with an announcement that Apple will continue to use Qualcomm’s 5G cellular modems in iPhones through 2026. 

There must be clothespins on a lot of noses in Cupertino, Calif., right now. For years, Apple has been trying to sever its dependence on Qualcomm for a key component in its iPhones—the silicon doodad that connects them to wireless networks—as part of a broader effort to seize control of the design of its smartphones’ most important components. Apple tried using Intel’s modems. That could have allowed it to distance itself from Qualcomm, which sued Apple for violating its patents.