A Qualcomm 5G modem
After reportedly committing to using 5G iPhone modems from Qualcomm until 2027, Apple is now said to be ready to deliver its own alternative two years early.
Apple’s desire to use its own 5G modems instead of Qualcomm’s has been behind many years of work. Until now, it has been believed that March 2027 is when the switch will finally happen, but now a report claims it will at least begin much sooner.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will introduce its own 5G modems with one high-end and one low-end iPhone during 2025.
The two models include the forthcoming iPhone SE, which Kuo says will be in the first quarter of 2025. The other is a slimmer iPhone 18 Pro model around September 2025.
That slimmer model is believed to be a new high-end flagship iPhone, priced above the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
If Kuo is correct, then it’s unusual that Apple would introduce something new to the very top of the range and also the very bottom. It points to this new Apple 5G modem being functionally the same as the Qualcomm one, rather than offering some particular enhanced feature.
That said, if this is to be just a swap of manufacturers, it’s now unusual that Apple would do it to two of the four models, instead of all of them. In this case, it’s presumably a combination of contractual obligation, and potentially that there is an issue over ramping up sufficient production to fulfill the needs of all four iPhones.
Apple began working on its 5G modem in 2019, when it bought Intel’s modem patents for $1 billion. Since then, it has seemingly struggled to develop the technology.
