Joe Rossignol
After more than five years in development, Apple’s long-awaited 5G modem will debut in the fourth-generation iPhone SE, the so-called iPhone 17 Air, and budget iPads next year, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports.
The new iPhone SE, iPad Air, and entry-level iPad are expected to launch as early as March, with the iPhone 17 Air following in September.
In a detailed report on Apple’s modem efforts today, Gurman said the chip will be able to achieve theoretical 5G download speeds of up to 4Gbps, which would be slower than Qualcomm’s modems in current iPhones. However, real-world data speeds are still much lower, so that might not be an issue. As previously speculated, Gurman said Apple's first 5G modem will not support the ultra-fast 5G standard known as mmWave, but he expects the chip to retain dual-SIM and dual-standby support.
According to the report, Apple is already secretly testing the new modem on devices deployed to hundreds of employees around the world.
At this point, the modem is not expected to be used in higher-end devices like the iPhone 17 Pro models. Apple moving away from Qualcomm modems would come with risks, as consistent performance for phone calls and cellular data is critical. By testing the modem on lower-end products, Apple can reduce that risk. Early issues with modem prototypes, such as excessive heat and power consumption, have reportedly been resolved.
On the other hand, the report describes some advantages of Apple's first modem over Qualcomm chips, including lower power consumption, improved cellular network scanning, and improved satellite communications.
While the modem was designed by Apple, it is said to be manufactured by iPhone chip maker TSMC.
Apple has been rumored to be working on its own 5G modem for the iPhone since at least 2018 as part of a plan to reduce and eventually eliminate its reliance on Qualcomm. Earlier this year, Apple extended its 5G modem supply deal with Qualcomm for iPhone launches until March 2027. In line with that timeline, Gurman said Apple hopes its own modem will overtake Qualcomm's technology by 2027.
In 2017, Apple sued Qualcomm for anticompetitive practices and $1 billion in unpaid royalty rebates. The two companies settled the lawsuit in 2019, and Apple acquired most of Intel's smartphone modem business that year. The purchase gave Apple a portfolio of cellular-related patents to support its development.
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