Joe Rossignol
As we reported earlier today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple's first 5G modem to debut in the new iPhone SE, the super-thin iPhone 17, and budget iPads in 2025. Toward the end of the report, he also outlined Apple's modem plans for devices coming in 2026 and 2027, which we've summarized below.
According to Gurman, Apple's second-generation 5G modem will debut in the iPhone 18 lineup in 2026 and in iPad Pro models by 2027. He said the modem would better compete with the Qualcomm modems in current iPhones by adding support for the ultra-fast 5G standard known as mmWave. Overall, he said the second modem would achieve theoretical download speeds of up to 6 Gbps, compared to 4 Gbps for Apple's first modem.
He expects Apple to release its third-generation modem in 2027. The company is apparently aiming for this modem to outperform Qualcomm's modems in terms of performance and AI features, though it remains to be seen if it will achieve that.
Going forward, Apple is said to be discussing bundling the modem with the iPhone's A-series chip.
Overall, this sounds like a natural progression for Apple following its decision to ditch Qualcomm modems in the iPhone. Apple and Qualcomm have had a rocky relationship over the years, but both companies have extended their iPhone modem supply agreement until March 2027, so Apple still has plenty of time on its side.
Apple has been rumored to be working on its own 5G modem since 2018, and it acquired Intel's smartphone modem patents in 2019 to support the effort. Starting with the iPhone SE 4 in March, we should finally see the modem in action.
Tags: Apple 5G modem guide, iPhone 18, Mark Gurman[ 45 comments ]
