Sunday, November 17, 2024
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I think we’ll see an Apple-made 5G modem in 2023 or 2024

In a note to clients — as noted by MacRumors — analyst Jeff Pu reiterates a rumor that the next version of the iPhone SE (due in 2025) will sport Apple’s first in-house 5G modem.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks Apple’s work to create its own 5G modem chip has stalled and that Qualcomm will remain the tech giant’s modem supplier for the near future. 

Kuo tweets: My latest survey indicates that Apple’s own iPhone 5G modem chip development may have failed, so Qualcomm will remain exclusive supplier for 5G chips of 2H23 new iPhones, with a 100% supply share (vs. company’s previous estimate of 20%).

The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) is skeptical that Apple won’t make its own 5G modem within the next two years. After all, if the company can make its own smartphone, tablet, and computer chips, it cn certainly overcome 5G modem problems.

In February, it was reported that ASE Technology was in preliminary talks with Apple for backend orders associated with the tech giant’s first self-designed 5G modem chips set for use in 2023. According to DigiTimes, Apple has already lined up its manufacturing partner, TSMC, to product its in-house 5G modem chips.

Apple currently uses Qualcomm modems. However, the tech giant Intel’s smartphone modem business in July 2019 and added 2,200 Intel engineers to its chipset operations globally. 

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.