Apple plans to launch a 5G cellular chip by end of 2024

Jan 10, 2023 05:54 GMT  ·  By

Apple has been trying for several years already to reduce its reliance on third-party suppliers, including Qualcomm, which has been providing the company with 5G cellular chips.

As such, the Cupertino-based tech giant has been working on its very own in-house 5G modem that would eventually be installed on the iPhone.

And according to a report from Bloomberg, Apple wants to launch the very-first iPhone with its own 5G modem by late 2024 or early 2025.

Not all iPhones will come with an Apple 5G chip at first, but the long-term for the company is to gradually bring the modem to as many iPhones as possible. Most likely, only the Pro versions will come with the Apple chip at first, with the same modem to then make its way to the rest of the models as well.

Needless to say, Apple has so far remained tight-lipped on everything related to this plan, but it’s not a secret that the company wants to have full control of the chips it installs on the iPhone. So in addition to the modems that it receives from Qualcomm, Apple also wants to build its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips.

At this point, the one supplier for these components is Broadcom, and eventually, Apple is planning to replace the company with chips that are designed in-house. The cited source claims this is projected to happen in 2025. Once again, the transition is expected to take place in stages, and the Pro models would most likely spearhead the migration.

At the end of the day, it now looks like it’s all just a matter of time until Apple brings its own chips to the iPhone, with the company hoping not only to control more of the supply chain but also to get more involved in the development and the performance of the silicon.