14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve known for a while that Apple wants to reduce reliance on third parties and build as many components as possible on its own, and the chips used on iPhones, as well as the new Apple Silicon push, is the living proof in this regard.
But at the same time, the Cupertino-based tech giant is also working around the clock on its very own 5G modem that would be used on the iPhone, and the goal is as clear as it could be.
Apple wants to give up on Qualcomm and therefore equip the iPhone with an in-house modem.
It’s not a secret that Apple and Qualcomm aren’t exactly best friends forever after their legal disputes, so the Cupertino-based tech firm investing aggressively in 5G modems that would make it possible to drop the collaboration with the San Diego-based company isn’t necessarily a surprise.
Apple 5G modem coming in 2023 at the earliest
And according to super-reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the company wants to come up with its own modem in 2023 at the earliest.
In other words, we’re some two years away from the moment Qualcomm chips would no longer be used on the iPhone, though there’s a good chance the whole transition from third-party to first-party modems would happen gradually until Apple has enough production capacity to make sure its inventory wouldn’t be affected.
“We predict that the iPhone will adopt Apple's own design 5G baseband chips in 2023 at the earliest. As Android sales in the high-end 5G phone market are sluggish, Qualcomm will be forced to compete for more orders in the low-end market to compensate for Apple's order loss. When the supply constraints improve, MediaTek and Qualcomm will have less bargaining power over brands, resulting in significantly higher competitive pressure in the mid-to low- end market,” Kuo has been quoted as saying recently.
Of course, no confirmation has been offered, so take this report with a healthy pinch of salt.