Apple has unmatched control of its supply chain, and has been strengthening that control further by developing key iPhone components inhouse rather than relying on third parties – a strategy which has had serious consequences for former partners such as Imagination Technologies. But despite its disproportionate impact on the fortunes of the smartphone components sector, even Apple is not an island. When it comes to the smartphone modem, a challenging segment in which many firms have failed, Apple has been unable to find a viable 5G alternative to Qualcomm. Intel out of smartphones again as its alliance with Apple fails: Apple and Qualcomm dramatically called off their long and bitter legal battle on Tuesday, hours into a trial in San…