Apple Plans to Equip MacBooks With In-House Cellular Modems

[Rafterman]

It's a disgrace that it takes them this long. Windows laptops have been doing cellular laptops for years. Heck, I even had a Mac-based cell modem when I created a Dell Hackintosh and got the built in cellular modem to work in MacOS. (fun with kext files) That was 15 years ago.

 

[370zulu]

I could see Apple join the MVNO game as a way to expand their lines of business. They have a loyal, captive audience and a point of sale presence in many locations. Making all mobile products have cellular capability would make for an additional sales and revenue stream.

 

[polyphenol]

By 2028 won't the satellite systems like Space X and others be available? Will people even want a MBP with cellular connectivity?

It is even possible that they will come with that sort of satellite connectivity just like the iPhone 14/15 - but hopefully faster!

 

[falainber]

All three, I'm guessing. AFAIK, Qualcomm charges more for cellular modems in laptop than in tablets, and more in tablets than in phones. Then you add that it's a completely separate chipset, so it adds space and power.

A hypothetical Apple modem would save on licensing costs, and could be integrated more tightly in their SoC.

I'm sure they'll still make it a $200 option regardless, but that's another matter.

I wonder how countless PC laptop manufacturers manage to do it (and have been doing it for decade(s))? Is Apple that bad at computer design?

 

[UltimaKilo]

Makes sense as a starting point. I’m more interested in what they can achieve when it comes to power savings on phones with an integrated piece.

 

[jdauerbach]

I like how they've left the "WWAN" selection in macOS System Report just to keep teasing us. It will show something again SOMEDAY!

 

[anshuvorty]

I wonder how countless PC laptop manufacturers manage to do it (and have been doing it for decade(s))? Is Apple that bad at computer design?

Here is how Lenovo manages to do it:

Source: https://guide-images.cdn.ifixit.com/igi/XBZeCiDmFP2vei42.large

That Fibocomm chip is the WWAN chip.

 

[bradman83]

I like how they've left the "WWAN" selection in macOS System Report just to keep teasing us. It will show something again SOMEDAY!

There are macOS compatible USB cellular modems out there (though they've fallen from popularity as hotspots have become more ubiquitous). I wonder if connecting such device to a Mac would populate that section of System Report or if macOS would just see it as a plain old network adapter.

 

[bernuli]

Personal hotspot should be good enough for most people though.

Yeah. There was a time way back that I really wanted cell connectivity built in to MacBook. . But today with hotspot on phone and iPad, I would not want to tie up another phone number and have another line item on cell bill.

 

[coolfactor]

Yep. Obviously. It would add a lot of value even if it wasn't the most advanced. A hot spot is always the last possible option in a pinch. A hot spot is never a good option.

Have you used a Mac paired with an iPhone? It's slick. Instant connection, very little reduction in speed. I use it all the time in my vehicle or when on the ferry. Ya, our BC Ferries system still lacks decent wifi, if any at all.

 

[HMWausau]

Yeah. There was a time way back that I really wanted cell connectivity built in to MacBook. . But today with hotspot on phone and iPad, I would not want to tie up another phone number and have another line item on cell bill.

I'd rather have hotspot on my MacBook than my iPad, especially since I use my MacBook WAY more than I do my iPad.

Having another device on the cell bill sucks, I agree. Using hotspot is what I have to do now, but there are times where that gets unreliable. I have to toggle hotspot on and off quite often, which is annoying.

Back when I did have service on my iPad, I used a DIFFERENT carrier as well, which gave me a better chance of having coverage in different areas. Cleared up lots of dead spots for me!

 

[HackMacDaddy]

I‘m always amazed at how sloooooow a trillion dollar company with all the resources in the world is moving to „innovate“.
They already have it in their iPads, why does it take 4 years to implement it in Laptops with the same chip basis?? And personal hotspot works ok most of the times, but drains your precious iPhone battery like crazy.

 

[MallardDuck]

Please no. Adds cost for little benefit. Use a hotspot.

 

[AlastorKatriona]

Take your time, Apple. https://www.macrumors.com/2011/08/1...macbook-pro-with-integrated-3g-cellular-data/

I'm sure you could find one even earlier than that. Probably as far back as the first iPhone rumors.

It has never made sense, not once, in the entire 2 decades since it became a possibility. And makes even less sense today, with how easy it is to share the cellular connection you're already paying for in your pocket, for the few minutes you might actually need this.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

If the modem will be the same as in the iPhone and iPad, I imagine that the goal could be for the ability to move between the devices seamlessly on one data plan.

 

[danvdr]

5G laptop? It'll probably come out on Tuesday.

 

[Netrox]

I am trying to understand why we need modem in laptop when we have devices to function as hotspots?

 

[Chuckeee]

As early as 2028? That doesn’t feel what I would call early.

If it’s really 2028 (or a few years later) it better be at least a 6G modem.

 

[Maigrais]

It's probably the licensing cost. Apple complained that Qualcomm charges a percentage of the device price. If they complain about that on the iPhone, I imagine they really wouldn't want to pay the same percentage on a $4000 laptop.

With their own chip, they only have to pay for manufacturing and patents.

Very well said!

 

[sd70mac]

But didn't laptops used to have slots for a BYO cellular thingy? What happened to that? Took up too much space? But seems worth it for a lot of people, but maybe not enough people since hotspot is an option. I’m personally not looking to add another cellular line.

USB seems to have been preferred over ExpressCard for that, since it is more universal, although ExpressCard is very powerful (being able to add FireWire, USB3, even external graphics in an era when laptops mostly had USB2).

 

[C00rDiNaT0r]

Does it make sense for Apple to add internet connections to the iCloud+ and/or Apple One "packages"? From regular users' perspective, who cares if the money goes to Apple or Verizon, Spectrum, Optimum, or some other international entities while traveling? If it's just a single month/annual bill to stay connected, wired or wireless, anywhere in the world, that's a good value proposition, isn't it?

 

[polyphenol]

Does it make sense for Apple to add internet connections to the iCloud+ and/or Apple One "packages"? From regular users' perspective, who cares if the money goes to Apple or Verizon, Spectrum, Optimum, or some other international entities while traveling? If it's just a single month/annual bill to stay connected, wired or wireless, anywhere in the world, that's a good value proposition, isn't it?

I agree it could make sense.

The biggest benefit for me would be if they implement in-country roaming. So I can use whichever signal is available. Coverage varies almost yard by yard round here!

But I have a nasty feeling that the cost will be more than I'm happy to pay. Just adding the cheapest ESIM from the 'other' carrier would likely be sufficient.

Especially as Apple One is already over-priced when I take out Arcade, find tv+ has somewhat thin offerings, and would only use Music to a limited extent. And a bundle including carrier(s) will simply increase the cost further - probably more than I am currently paying.

 

[RogueWarrior65]

Until Verizon allows me to use the same data plan on multiple devices, don't waste my time.
I don't have service on my iPad and instead use the hotspot on my phone.

 

[chabig]

Drains battery.

So will an onboard cellular modem. To mitigate the battery drain, if I am going to use my iPhone hotspot for a length of time I will simply connect it to my MacBook to take advantage of its much larger battery. It has never been a problem.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Portable Mac's seem like the perfect place to trial building Apple's modems into SOCs before sticking them into devices where they are mission critical like iPhones.

Heck, they don't even really need to wait for 5G, 4G would be fine for most people and assuming they can legally ship everything they brought in house from Intel, they could probably do that as early as 2024-2025. Waiting until 2026 or later seems like a good way to never ship a modem. Sometimes you have to ship a mediocre product before you can ship a good one.

Fortunately "Sometimes you have to ship a mediocre product before you can ship a good one" is not Apple's intended style.