Apple’s 5G Modem Dreams May Be Over: Report
Apple may end development of the iPhone’s 5G modem, which is big and happy news for chipmaker Qualcomm. The Cupertino-based giant has reportedly decided to end in-house development of the modem, which could have boosted 5G connectivity in iPhones, leaving Qualcomm to operate without partners like Apple for the foreseeable future.
The report comes via a South Korean online portal, which claims that Apple has stopped investing in this division and is also shutting down the people working on the modem. It was actually speculated that the 4th generation iPhone SE model would debut with the new modem, but those plans seem well and truly over.
Many experts said that Apple could get an in-house 5G modem working in the iPhone by 2025, but these new developments suggest that Qualcomm has more reason to be happy, as reliance on Apple’s chip giant could help the company attract more players. they turn them into customers.
Apple and Qualcomm unexpectedly renewed their agreement, which brings the latter’s modem to iPhone phones at least until 2026. Many speculated that Apple might be delaying the project to succeed and after 2026 the modem will finally be ready to be packed. But if Apple does indeed shut down its 5G modem plans, it’s possible it could continue to focus on the M- and A-series chips that power Macs and iPhones.
Apple focused on the modem project when it decided to buy Intel’s modem unit in 2019 for a reported $1 billion. To be fair, Apple hasn’t said how quickly it plans to increase the use of its own chips. Additionally, Qualcomm recently claimed in its financial projections that only a fifth of Apple’s iPhones will use its chips by 2026, but the numbers may look completely different in the coming years.
