Bloomberg: Apple is hiring engineers to work on 6G wireless connectivity

Apple is hiring engineers to work on the next generation of wireless 6G technology, based on job openings noted by Bloombergis Mark Gurman.

According to Gurman’s report, the listings for positions are at Apple’s offices in Silicon Valley and San Diego, where the company works to develop wireless technology and chip design.

“You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to develop the next generation of wireless technology that will have a major impact on future Apple products,” the ad said. “In this role, you will be at the center of a pioneering research group responsible for creating next-generation disruptive radio access technologies over the next decade.”

People hired for the positions will “research and design the next generation (6G) wireless communication systems for radio access networks” and “participate in industry / academic forums with a passion for 6G technology.”

Apple only adopted 5G connectivity in its iPhones last year and 6G is not expected to roll out until around 2030, but the job openings indicate that Apple is eager to be involved in the development of the new technology at the earliest stages.

Late last year, Apple joined the Next G Alliance, an industry group founded by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) that aims to be “ North America’s leadership in mobile technology in 6G and beyond in the coming years. decade, while building on the long-term evolution of 5G. “

The Next G Alliance held its first membership meeting in November to determine the overall direction and strategy of the initiative. The other members of the group include Charter, Cisco, Google, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Keysight Technologies, LG, Mavenir, MITER and VMware.

In September, AT&T said it already has engineers working on the next generation of 6G networks. Some analysts say the technology enables speeds over 100 times faster than 5G, but again, the technology is not expected to appear in the coming years.

The move continues the trend that Apple prefers to develop internal hardware for its devices, rather than relying on third parties. In 2019, Apple and Qualcomm settled a legal battle and reached a multi-year chipset supply agreement that paved the way for Apple to use Qualcomm’s 5G modems in iPhone 12 models.

Furthermore, a court document of the settlement revealed that Apple will likely use the Snapdragon X60 modem for iPhones in 2021, followed by the world’s first 10 Gigabit 5G modem, the Snapdragon X65, in 2022 iPhones.

However, the Snapdragon X65 could be the last Qualcomm modem used in iPhones, as Barclays analysts and multiple other sources have predicted that Apple will switch to its own 5G modem for iPhones by 2023.