The next iPhone could already be behind the competition in an important way

We're still months away from the next iPhone which, by all accounts, will be Apple's most impressive handset yet.

But there's one important spec that may be far behind the competition and it could affect the speed of your data connection.

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That's because Apple won't be using Qualcomm's newest X16 LTE modems — the ones capable of the ultra-fast 1 gigabit per second connections carriers have been promising us —in the latest iPhone, according to a new report in Bloomberg.

The reason is apparently due to the company's longstanding reluctance to depend on a single manufacturer for key components of its iPhones. The iPhone 7, for example, used modems from Qualcomm and Intel, and Apple has sourced parts from multiple companies in the past.

The problem now: Intel's new gigabit-ready modems won't be available in time for the next iPhone, according to Bloomberg. And Apple is apparently hesitant to make an exclusive deal with Qualcomm right now given the fact that they are in the midst of a rather nasty legal battle. 

So instead Apple is reportedly going to continue doing what it's always done: use both Qualcomm and Intel modems. But it will disable some functionality, like the ability to reach gigabit speeds, so as not to create a disparity between multiple devices in the same line.

That may sound like bad news for the next iPhone, and it definitely could be, but there are a few caveats to this: the major U.S carriers haven't said exactly when its new gigabit networks will be available to its subscribers, so if carriers get delayed on their rollout, then the iPhone's slower modes may not be as noticeable. 

Still, major Android flagships, including Samsung's Galaxy S8, are already using Qualcomm's X16 LTE chips so it's safe to say this is one spec where Apple could easily fall behind the competition.

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