Apple offers Wi-Fi chip contract for 2019 HomePod to MediaTek as legal battle with Qualcomm continues

Apple’s HomePod speaker hasn’t even hit the market and we already have a report on the hardware of next year’s model. Taiwan-based chipmaker MediaTek has reportedly been offered a contract to manufacture Wi-Fi chips for the  Apple HomePod which will be launching in 2019. [caption id=“attachment_4317253” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Apple HomePod.[/caption] According to a  report by GizmoChina, MediaTek is also going to build the application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips for the device using a 7 mm processor. MediaTek has also supplied these ASIC chips for other smart-speakers such as the Google Home and  Amazon Echo , according to the report. Qualcomm’s ongoing dispute with Apple could provide MediaTek the perfect opportunity for securing a contract for the modem, CDMA and wireless charging chips from Apple, says the report. According to a DigiTimes report , MediaTek meets the three main principles Apple expects its supplier to meet. These are “companies must offer leading technological competitiveness, they must have comprehensive product blueprints, and they need reliable logistic support”. The HomePod will have Apple’s voice assistant Siri, integrated inside the device and will make music recommendations that work with the company’s Apple Music service. Surprisingly HomePod will not allow Spotify or Google Music to become the default music player, which is generally the case in Echo devices and Google Home as well.