According to analyst Jeff Pu of the firm Haitong International Securities, Apple should stop supplying Qualcomm with the 5G chip for its iPhones, in order to integrate its own modem from 2025 - at the earliest - while previous rumors predicted 2023.
Apple 5G modem chip in development since 2020
The development of this component started at Apple in 2020, after the company acquired part of the electronics giant Intel. Following this maneuver and a legal agreement between Apple and Qualcomm, the iPhone 15 vintage 2023 will have to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X75 5G modem. Indeed, Apple has been in contract with Qualcomm since the iPhone 12 in 2020 via a contract which runs for six years.
Apple 5G modem chip planned in 2025
Originally, Apple hoped that only 20% of iPhone 15s would be equipped with Qualcomm by the end of the contract, the rest carrying an “in-house” chip, but that will not be the case. It is therefore not before 2025 that Apple could use its own 5G component, developed in collaboration with long-time partner TSMC.
