Among the few bad things that can be said about iPhones is its poor battery life. Apple is set to change that if the company pushes through with its rumored plan to create its own chips. If so, Apple will have no other recourse but to ditch one of its partners. However, it may be a little too late to make an appearance on the eagerly-anticipated iPhone 8.
According to Reuters, Apple will be terminating its contract with Dialog Semiconductor as it embarks on developing its own chips. Dialog supplies Apple with the power management integrated circuit or PMIC used in previous iPhones. The news had a quick and negative effect on the Anglo-German company as its shares fell by as much as 36 percent on Tuesday. Reuters also reported that Bankhaus Lampe, a four-star financial analyst, reduced Dialog's rating from "hold" to "sell".
The Dialog is the number one power management chip maker in the world with 20 percent of the market. Last year, 70 percent of Dialog's sales were courtesy of Apple. By the looks of it, the iPhone 8 will be the last Apple device to utilize Dialog's chips. If that is indeed the case, then the iPhone 8 will probably not see that much improvement with regards to battery life though there is another rumor saying the iPhone 8 will sport a larger 2,700 mAh L-shaped 2-cell battery.
The rumored battery management chip being developed by Apple will provide extended battery life without the need for a larger battery. The company supposedly has a couple of power management centers located in Munich and California where 80 engineers are already working on the chip. Despite that many personnel, the chip may not be ready in time for the iPhone 8's release. In fact, sources say that the chips should be expected by 2019.
As BGR noted, Apple already has plans to cut ties with Imagination Technologies which supplies the iPhone's graphic chips. Apple is also rumored to be planning on making its own graphic chips.
