After several years of wrestling to create its own 5G modem, Apple may be on the verge of releasing two iPhone models with a 5G modem created in-house by the company. According to an X post by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the slim iPhone 17 and the iPhone SE 4 could feature a 5G modem made by Apple.
Per Kuo:
“Apple is accelerating its move away from reliance on Qualcomm. In 2025, two new iPhone models will ditch Qualcomm’s 5G chips and adopt Apple’s in-house 5G chips: the iPhone SE4 (1Q25) and the ultra-slim iPhone 17 (3Q25).” Why just those two models? So Apple can effectively test the modem on a large scale without shipping it in every new iPhone. The SE and iPhone 17 Slim will likely be far less popular than other 2025 models (iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max), so any issues will be easier to address.
While most users don’t especially care which 5G modem can be found inside their iPhone, such a move would validate Apple’s billion-dollar purchase of Intel’s modem business exactly five years ago today. Since the purchase, reports say that the project has had its issues, and there was even a report last year that Apple finally gave up. Still, it looks like it could finally happen.
After years of using Qualcomm’s modems inside its iPhones, the move also aligns with Apple’s history of controlling as much of its product development and product as possible. By developing its own 5G modem, it can design it to fit its desired specs exactly and can stop making iPhone design accommodations for a Qualcomm modem for a lower price than licensing the technology from another company.
Via Macworld and @MingChiKuo