Currently, Apple’s been working on its in-house 5G modem chip since 2018, with the chip expected to first get used in the upcoming iPhone SE 4 due to be released in 2025. It can be considered a major breakthrough for Apple, as the company is now seeking to break the ties with Qualcomm Inc. The iPhone SE 4 will therefore be a trial run in the new chip, with the iPhone 17 Air being in subsequent versions if the release of the new chip is successful.
Apple Set to Launch Custom 5G Modem in Future iPhones
While it is true that to introduce the custom 5G modem will be revolutionary, Apple is anticipated to experience several performance issues at its beginning. Initial reviews cite that, effectively, it could be even slower than Qualcomm's current Snapdragon X-series modems, which are the flagship modems today in terms of 4G and 5G connectivity. For many years, Qualcomm’s chips have provided full support for such features as interference filters and broadband technologies.
This strategic move has been initiated by the need to undermine dependence on third-party modem providers, in this case Qualcomm. However, copying the depth and diversification of Qualcomm’s modem technology has not been easy to achieve. The challenges Apple has faced in competing with Qualcomm in manufacturing broadband modems have been attributed to the cause of the delays involved in launching an Apple solution.
That is why Apple’s in-house 5G modem is a long-term advantageous strategy for the company despite the mentioned difficulties. On the one hand, by controlling its modem technology, Apple has more opportunities and lower costs in regulating the access of its hardware suppliers. In the long run, as the company continues to develop its modem chip, it has the potential to increase performance and even add on the iPhone-specific features.
Incorporation of Apple’s own modems, which offer 5G integration, showcases the company’s perpetual effort to develop its technological capabilities’ horizons. While this initiative from Apple may do a lot to define the future of iPhone connectivity, it will help the company free itself from the confines of Qualcomm and perhaps offer users a better experience.
Apple’s Path to Developing a Custom 5G Modem
Apple has been on a long and testing journey to developing its in-house 5G modem. At first, Apple worked with Intel to embed in the iPhone 12 series the Intel 8161 modem that would facilitate the 5G network. However, Qualcomm's modem outperformed Intel's and was unable to do so. This resulted in Apple coming back to Qualcomm for modem solutions in future iPhone models, even if this will force Apple to pay more money in licensing fees and agree to Qualcomm’s patent laws.
However, there are reports that Apple is not backing down from the dream of designing its 5G modem. Recent passAGCHWUDI from other analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo and Mark Gurman indicate that Apple has come over some of the major challenges in terms of size and power consumption. The development of these novel modem solutions is said to open the door for incorporating Apple’s modem into future iPhones, beginning with the iPhone SE 4 and the iPhone 17 Air in 2025.
According to Gurman, the iPhone 17 Air will be Apple’s thinnest ever at under 6.5 mm and will rely solely on Apple’s custom modem. However, he added that it might not boast the kind of performance Qualcomm offers current solutions, this with references to even speed and network support. Nevertheless, the custom modem is considered an essential step towards Apple’s vision of the company’s Qualcomm freedom.
The 5G modem in an iPhone, referred to as "Sinope, "will have download speeds of up to 4 Gbps, which is less than that of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X-series modems, which can do 10 Gbps. Also, the Sinope modem lacks the reacher Verizon high-speed network to support it in some areas and networks.
The Sinope modem may be slow and incompatible with many broadband providers, but Apple is hoping its proprietary system will evolve into something better. Such a decision is seen as Apple’s broader plan to be less reliant on third-party suppliers and own more of its hardware. However, for now, the company may still have a problem of lagging behind Qualcomm in terms of technology.
Apple’s Plans for Testing and Improving Its Custom 5G Modem
Although Sinope, Apple’s custom 5G modem, is at a disadvantage in the current market, Apple is very keen on adopting it initially for low-cost iPhone models. Starting with these models, Apple plans to assess customers’ responses but, at the same time, minimize expenditures. This approach will enable the company to collect important feedback before taking the modem to the rest of its iPhone range.
Apple’s three-year plan to bring better improvement to the Sinope modem involves its optimization because it aims to cut off Qualcomm’s modems entirely. It formulates a long-term vision of Apple’s plan to gain more meticulous control over hardware design and production in its effort to minimize dependency on outsourced parts. This is because through increasing the speed, efficiency, as well as compatibility of the custom modem that Apple Inc. seeks to address the existing shortcomings.
It also fits in with Apple’s overall plan to integrate its devices more closely, tying its computers more closely to its iOS devices. If a company such as Apple controls more of these designs, like the modem, it performs a better optimization of its ecosystem and makes the iPhone more closely integrated, which is generally speaking positive for the user experience.
Choosing Sinope to begin with cheaper machines means that Apple can later combine performance with cost. It allows the company to stay relevant in the low-end smartphone market segment and to invest in R&D to produce better modems for later high-end smartphone models.
Indeed, in the next couple of years, Apple’s investment into the 5G modem technology may dramatically transform the iPhone’s connectivity and could acquire the seeds for future disengagement from Qualcomm and other bond suppliers. Should the company manage this transition successfully, it would be the right move towards creating a tightly integrated Apple environment with equipment that the company may offer to its clients with a competitive advantage.
