[ytch]

The CPU/SOC operates independently with limited protocols (such as PCIe, NVMe, etc.). In contrast, a baseband processor must communicate with various base stations and core networks, requiring precise timing, physical signal alignment, and correct message formats. Even though the 3GPP defines mobile network standards, achieving full compatibility remains extremely challenging.

[londons_explore]

When you're apple, you can just be mostly compliant, and the worlds mobile networks will have to work around your bugs.

Nobody will use a phone company that doesn't work with iPhones.

[happymellon]

A lot of the mobile networks use off the shelf hardware. That was one of the reasons Huawei was painful to remove from global phone networks. If they don't work, they will not work over multiple networks.

If there are reports of iPhones failing to work reliably from Kansas City to Kuala Lumpur then it would be unlikely to be the operators being blamed here.

[spease]

Not necessarily. People will notice if it doesn’t work as well as their last iPhone.