No wonder: at least since 2019 and the takeover of Intel’s network chip business, Apple is known to have been working on an “in-house” 5G modem. A way to cut the cord with its supplier Qualcomm, even if this development is taking longer than expected.
However, Qualcomm is likely to feel the danger as early as the end of 2024, predicts Bloomberg. Apple might actually integrate its own 5G chip into a new product, perhaps a high-end iPhone, first before making its way across the range. This transition phase would last about three years.
Ming-Chi Kuo said last week Apple was considering adding its 5G modem to the 2024 iPhone SE 4 .
Also, cellular access is far from the only project underway in Cupertino’s clandestine labs. According to the publication, Apple is also working on a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection chip. As a result, by 2025, Apple would no longer use Broadcom-supplied components for this important part of the iPhone and its other products. It would be a blow to Broadcom, for which Apple is its largest customer (20% of annual revenue actually comes from Apple).
The manufacturer is not starting from scratch: After all, the H1 and H2 chips in the AirPods and the W3 chip in the Apple Watch already integrate in-house components for wireless connections. But a completely self-developed WLAN and Bluetooth chip would be a decisive step towards full autonomy for Apple. Second, this Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chip would enable connection to 5G networks.