There’s a reason why Apple shells out mountains of money for 5G modem technology used in iPhones. Smartphones are nothing without network connections, and building reliable modems to make those connections is hard.
That’s why it’s no surprise that Apple remains two years away from shipping its own custom 5G modem and splitting up with modem supplier Qualcomm.
Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reaffirmed the two-year target in a research note discussing Qualcomm. Will 2025 actually be the year of the Apple 5G modem? If so, the iPhone 17 (or whichever iPhone goes first) will be defined by the change – for better or worse.
As a brief recap, Apple bought Intel’s modem business for $1 billion in 2019 after Intel failed at becoming a viable competitor to Qualcomm. Apple even shipped iPhones with Intel modems inside (and people weren’t happy).
As a side note, Nokia is also a beneficiary of Apple’s modem endeavors.
Fortunately for everyone involved, Apple settled its mega legal battle with Qualcomm and iPhone modems remained good. There wasn’t really a choice, however, which is why Apple will switch to its own modem in two years. Two years from when, though, is the question.
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