In Finland carriers do that. So it's not about Apple decision I think, more about the amount of needed capital to do that.
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Apple 'Investigating' Macs With Cellular Connectivity
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I would love to have Cellular connectivity option for my MacBook. Apple can and will easily charge an additional $200 for cellular models.
Don't think it will happen immediately though. 2026 MacBook Pro models should be getting OLED. 2027 models might be the first ones having it.
Don't think it will happen immediately though. 2026 MacBook Pro models should be getting OLED. 2027 models might be the first ones having it.
Considering the cost of their pro machines, it should be a no brainer to offer as an option. A couple of hundred dollars option on a machine worth mid 4 figures is a drop in the ocean.
Now that they are going to build the chip themselves, I see an scenario where any A and M chip have cellular bake into with little extra cost. It will be cheaper to made given economies of scale. Can you imagine this? Even iPads and iPhones can be cheaper with this move and apple will control the timing
And iPad with cellular is more expensive because they have to include a chip made by Qualcomm and pay the royalties, in the future they won’t. So they can control all the pipeline and integrate the 5g modem into apple silicon making the devices more powerful efficient and cheaper.
Then this option will not be for you, simple.
You have to use your imagination a bit. Not everyone wants to fry his iPhone's battery constantly.
I boggles my mind that some people can't wrap their heads around the fact that someone will find this option useful. There's a cellular option on the iPad or Watch, but with the Mac, their ability to go beyond their own uses suddenly ends. Truly incredible!
Material for research on the limitations of the human mind.
Material for research on the limitations of the human mind.
Outside of that, running off your iPhone hotspot burns a heap of battery in the phone. why do that when the laptop has a much much bigger battery to draw from.
The option to NOT rely on an iPhone for hotspot would be great.
Apple is considering bringing cellular connectivity to the Mac lineup for the first time, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The Cupertino company is said to be "investigating" the possibility of adding a modem chip to a future Mac, but a cellular Mac isn't likely to launch until 2026 or later.
Early in 2025, Apple plans to introduce the custom-built 5G chip that it's had in the works for years now. The modem chip will be added to the iPhone SE, low-cost iPad, and iPhone 17 "Air," giving Apple an opportunity to test the technology before rolling it out to flagship devices.
From there, Apple's custom 5G modem chip will expand to other iPhones and iPads over a three-year period, and it may also come to the Mac. A Mac with a 5G chip would be able to connect to a cellular network just like a 5G-enabled iPhone or iPad, and Wi-Fi or a cellular hotspot would not be required.
The first Apple modem chip will be limited to sub-6GHz 5G speeds, but the second-generation version will support faster mmWave technology. Apple is aiming to outcompete Qualcomm with a third-generation model, offering better performance and AI features. Apple ultimately wants to phase out Qualcomm modem chips, replacing them with the modem chips that Apple has designed.
Last year, Gurman said that Macs with Apple-designed modem chips would be introduced in 2028 at the earliest, with Apple planning to integrate 5G connectivity into its Apple silicon chips.
Macs with 5G connectivity have been rumored for several years, and way back in 2008, Apple considered adding a modem chip to the MacBook Air. Then-CEO Steve Jobs said that Apple decided not to because the modem chip would take up too much room in the case and would lock customers to a specific carrier, but chip technology has come a long way since then.
Article Link: Apple 'Investigating' Macs With Cellular Connectivity
That sounds pretty sweet. eSim I presume ?
Do it, do it, do it! c")
The MacBook InAir
They could and should have done this many years ago. Yes I know, tethering is an option, but now with LTE & eSim it is an even more obvious option for a pro laptop.
I am working in a corporate environment with many people travelling and working off-site. For decades now every laptop had cellular modems. They went from sticks to cards to ordering HP models with built-in modems.
I never got, why Apple always shunned the idea of making a cellular modem a build to order option. I'd always have paid for that kind of versatility.
I am working in a corporate environment with many people travelling and working off-site. For decades now every laptop had cellular modems. They went from sticks to cards to ordering HP models with built-in modems.
I never got, why Apple always shunned the idea of making a cellular modem a build to order option. I'd always have paid for that kind of versatility.
I think it’s because the watch has to be tethered to an iPhone while a 5G enabled Mac would not need one. Apple is in the business of selling phones first. All the rest of their lineup (Watch, AirPods, speakers, services and even the Mac) are considered iPhone accessories to them.
Will make no difference to me. 5G signals are often **** in my so called full coverage area and when there is a football match a mile away all our reception gets jammed by human traffic.
Regular Windows update are released once a month (the second Tuesday of each month).
1 step closer to Apple launching their own global network. It’s why they are investing so much to allow the satellite technology be used for normal usage.
clearly you live a privaliged life, because 429 dollars is NOT Cheap!. especially in the U.K where were are in an energy crisis and cost of living crisis. not everyone can afford 429 pounds for a PHONE. Grow up!
I would say it is just the opposite. Theoretical speeds, maybe. But in actual practice not even close. My home internet is always faster than my cellular 5G connection. It is hard to beat 1 Gig symmetrical on home internet using a cellular plan.
Not technical, commercial. How big is the market, how many units can they sell at what cost etc.
It's probably a coincidence, but Macbook Pros with express-card slots that could use a cellular modem went away around the time the first iPad was released.
But it also helped them to differentiate the ipad from the macbook. I wonder, what changed.
Pricing will probably be comparable to ipads, I 'd expect to pay a nice, hefty markup when buying a pro model.
But it also helped them to differentiate the ipad from the macbook. I wonder, what changed.
Pricing will probably be comparable to ipads, I 'd expect to pay a nice, hefty markup when buying a pro model.