The saga of Apple ’s attempt to make its own cellular modem seems like it may never end .
Earlier this class , the Qualcomm CEO said that it was his assumption thatApple would alternate to using 5 G microprocessor chip of its own designbeginning sometime in 2024 . There were hearsay surrounding that command that the new iPhone SE — introduced in the spring of 2024 — would be a test lawsuit and the fate of the 5 guanine chip in the iPhone 16 would rest on how well that turned out .
manifestly , Apple is having fuss produce a 5 G modem that ’s at least more or less on par with Qualcomm ’s , becauseQualcomm has announcedthat it will carry on to add Snapdragon 5 gram modems for iPhone launches in 2024 , 2025 , and 2026 .
That ’s all the info contained in Qualcomm ’s statement , so we should be careful not to make too many Assumption of Mary . Apple may , for example , use a 5 G modem of its own design in the iPhone SE , or apply its own 5 G modem in some iPhone 16 , 17 , or 18 mannequin . Qualcomm does not mention being Apple’sexclusivesupplier , nor thatallApple product will use its modem .
surely , Apple ’s effort to make its own 5 G modems have not get well . Apple buy Intel ’s cellular modem business enterprise in 2019 , with the intent to bring about its own modems and reduce trust on Qualcomm or other vendors . That was never expected to be a quick process , but it ’s now four geezerhood later and not a single production has shipped with an Apple - design modem in it … and it does n’t seem that we ’ll see one for at least another couple of year .
design and make up top - tier cellular modems is notoriously unmanageable , and Qualcomm is in a prevailing position . It ’s not enough for Apple to make a modem that work , it has to be at least as mellow - execution and low - power as whatever Qualcomm is currently shipping . After all , Apple could n’t very well send an iPhone next year withworsecellular public presentation than this yr ’s model .
