In one fell swoop, Apple cut its self-inflicted Gordian knot of 5G modem supply and paid Qualcomm undisclosed amount to settle the patent litigation and secure a multi-year contract for 5G iPhones. Apple had little choice but to settle, as Intel threw in the towel on 5G modem development when it learned that Qualcomm resolved its patent issues with Apple, while America's homeland security institutions would balk at Huawei's involvement due to geopolitical considerations.

Samsung, on the other hand, simply can't make enough of its own 5G modems to exclusively supply another huge customer. ...