Apple may develop its own 5G modem for the iPhone 15

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This 5G chip update may not be available to the iPhone 14

image via engadgets

According to reports, Apple is preparing its own 5G modems for iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, which might mean that the iPhone 14 would be left behind.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, Apple has been developing its own modems (the component that interprets your mobile signal) for some years now.

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A large part of Intel’s smartphone modem group was purchased by Apple in 2019 and includes a workforce of 2,200 people, some of whom are reportedly still being hired. As well as in San Diego, where Qualcomm, the modem and chip maker, is located, it has reportedly been hiring staff to work on cellular modem chips, as has a satellite office in Irvine, CA, which happens to be nearby Broadcom, the company that specialises in interface components between modes and antennes.

This year, Qualcomm forecasted that its modem market share will fall from about 100% in 2021 to only 20% by the end of the decade. While this may be seen as a shift by Apple to another modem provider, the aforementioned employment and acquisition reports all point to Apple producing its own proprietary modems.

Making its own products might potentially save Apple’s component costs and allow the company to develop modems that operate precisely with Apple devices, among other advantages. Apple may be able to reduce the size of the equipment needed to link new products to the internet, such as the reported Apple Glasses.

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Apple’s desire to manufacture its own modems is one thing; actually doing so is quite another. Since the A-series smartphone processors, the S-series smartwatch chips, and the Apple M1 series tablet/laptop CPUs, Apple hasn’t been shy about designing its own silicon. Making its own modems would need learning a great deal of new information and doing a great deal of testing, since they are all processors.

As indicated by the fact that the earliest proof of Apple’s ambitions came from three years ago, such plans would take a long time to come together. However, it is possible that four years into this purported transition to Apple’s own modems, the iPhone 15 will be equipped with a modem of Apple’s own design. Whether or if it will be able to compete with the Qualcomm modems that are extensively utilised by competing handsets and current iPhones is another thing.

Based on the release date of Apple’s iPhone 13 and past iPhone releases, the iPhone 14 is anticipated in September. The Pro versions will get a new notch and better cameras, while the non-Pro Max model will take the place of the existing small variant.

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In addition to Apple’s first in-house modem, the iPhone 15 is expected to have a more powerful periscope telephoto camera and maybe an under-display Face ID sensor.

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