So much is made of Intel’s repeated failure in the smartphone processor and system-on-chip markets that it can be forgotten that it is a top four player in smartphone modems, courtesy of its 2010 acquisition of Infineon’s wireless business. However, in the seven years it has owned the outfit, it has not come close to worrying Qualcomm at the cutting edge of cellular standards – until now. In 2017, Intel has dared to go head-to-head with Qualcomm in the territory where it excels – pushing out modems for the very latest standards, in this case 5G. Samsung, Huawei’s HiSilicon and MediaTek will attempt the same feat, but so far Qualcomm has dominated the pre-standard 5G landscape, providing the vast majority…