Apple will start using self-developed 5G modems as early as 2023

In the past few years, Apple has used modems from Intel and Qualcomm. On the other hand, since Apple acquired Intel’s modem business in 2019, it has also been developing its own modems. It hopes that its products can use self-developed 5G modems in the future, but there has been no relevant news when it will be introduced.

According to Macrumors reports, Apple is currently rapidly introducing relevant self-developed components into product design, and modems are among the more difficult and expensive parts. According to relevant industry insiders, Apple’s first 5G modem will debut in the iPhone series in 2023 at the earliest. This means that Apple will continue to use Qualcomm’s related products for about two years, and Apple will gradually shift to self-developed products.

“Apple glass box store NYC” by TriggerHappyDave is licensed under CC BY 2.0

For Qualcomm, if it loses high-end large customers like Apple, it will have an impact on its revenue. On the other hand, as the supply situation improves in the next two years, coupled with MediaTek’s efforts, it will greatly increase the pressure of competition in the low-end market.

I believe that with Apple’s requirements, its self-developed solution should be better than the current third-party solutions, both in terms of performance and efficiency. As an enterprise that integrates as much vertically as possible from hardware to software, Apple also has enough room for optimization. The use of self-developed modems is likely to allow Apple to more actively arrange it in product lines other than the iPhone and iPad series, such as the MacBook series. PC manufacturers have already used 4G LTE and 5G networks as optional features for notebook computers, and I believe Apple will follow up in the future.