Apple modem rollout will take years

Qualcomm will supply Apple with 5G modems at least through 2027

Apple’s in-house modem project has encountered significant hurdles, including performance issues and overheating. As a result, the company has been compelled to delay the modem’s launch until at least next year. The rollout will be phased, beginning with limited product models and extending over several years. Reflecting this extended timeline, Apple has extended its partnership with Qualcomm until March 2027.

Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News:
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Saving money is one reason for the move. The iPhone maker has argued for years that it pays Qualcomm too much for modems. But Qualcomm has said that Apple will still have to pay it some royalties regardless (the chipmaker believes that Apple won’t be able to avoid infringing its patents).

So it’s hard to tell how big the benefits will be in the near term. Down the road, there are plans for Apple to fold its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access. That would create a single connectivity component, potentially improving reliability and battery life.

There’s also the possibility that Apple could one day combine all of this into the device’s main system on a chip, or SoC. That could further cut costs and save space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design choices…

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MacDailyNews Take: It’ll be interesting to see the head-to-head performance tests of Apple’s first shipping modem (in the iPhone SE likely) vs. Apple devices with Qualcomm modems.

Also, it’s possible that Apple would finally include built-in modems in its MacBook lines if it successfully develops its own modem chip.
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