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Qualcomm's CEO hints that the chip maker and Apple will soon kiss and make up

By Alan Friedman

Published: Nov 28, 2018, 8:00 PM

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Apple Processors

Apple and Qualcomm have sued each other multiple times. Qualcomm says that Apple owes it several billion dollars, and Apple says that it overpaid for Qualcomm's modem chips. Things got so bad between the two firms that Apple relied exclusively on Intel's modem chips for the 2018 iPhone models. According to one count taken during the summer, both firms are involved in more than 50 separate intellectual property and antitrust suits filed in 16 jurisdictions, covering six countries.

But today on CNBC, Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf said that his company is "on the doorstep" of resolving the differences that it has with Apple. Speaking with CNBC's Jim Cramer, the executive said that the two companies do talk. Using a sports analogy, Mollenkopf said that the battle with Apple is in "the fourth quarter of the game, and not the first quarter." The Qualcomm CEO had been talking about the feud with Apple coming to an end as far back as October of 2017.

"We've always talked about — I've been very consistent — that ... the second half of this year and into next year is when we're really on the doorstep of finding a resolution and we don't see anything different than that."-Steve Mollenkopf, CEO, Qualcomm

Even if Qualcomm and Apple kiss and make up before the end of this year, it might be too late for Qualcomm's modem chips to be used on the 2019 iPhone models. But the chip maker could get its 5G modem inside the 2020 iPhones, which could be the first handsets from Apple to support the next generation of wireless connectivity.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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