Apple's Custom 5G Modem Could 'Change the Way iPhone Looks and Works' in the Long Term

[MacRumors]

Apple is investing billions of dollars into developing an in-house cellular modem, but the project is not expected to yield immediate improvements for users, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports.

In last week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that, unlike the transition to Apple silicon, the company's first custom modem will not offer noticeable benefits for users. Individuals within Apple apparently "acknowledge that customers don't really care who makes the modem in their phone" and "it's hard to tell how big the benefits will be in the near term."

Instead, Apple is looking to play "the long game, hoping its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could ultimately change the way an iPhone looks and works."

Down the road, there are plans for Apple to fold its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access. That would create a single connectivity component, potentially improving reliability and battery life.

There's also the possibility that Apple could one day combine all of this into the device's main system on a chip, or SoC. That could further cut costs and save space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design choices.

Apple has used modems designed by Qualcomm for over a decade, but moved to design its own following a legal battle over royalties and patents in 2018. Since then, it has faced issues with performance and overheating, and the component's debut has been pushed back until next year at the earliest. Its rollout is expected to take place on a gradual basis, starting with more niche devices and expanding across the lineup over the period of a few years.

Article Link: Apple's Custom 5G Modem Could 'Change the Way iPhone Looks and Works' in the Long Term

 

[MayaUser]

Apple always changes everything...from Apple Sil now to the modem

 

[jz0309]

Nothing new here… just Gurman filling the summer hole

 

[locovaca]

Or, it can go the way of the Apple Car and be left to die before ever seeing the light of day.

 

[sw1tcher]

Apple is looking to play "the long game, hoping its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could ultimately change the way an iPhone looks and works."

Foldable iPhone?

 

[jz0309]

And, modem performance is not critical anymore for the average user… with my 13PM while on a LTE plan I got up to 100MBps download and now on a 5G plan I’m getting 500+ MBps downloads in areas with good coverage, so newer modems will obviously be faster - but for what? To bombard me with more ads, not anything useful. And the ads from a few years ago that you can download a 4K movie within less than 1 min? You can’t even watch 4K content on an iPhone…
So Apple designing their own will be good for battery life but they will unlikely catch up to Qualcomm performance in years, if ever, and that is not really needed…

 

[one more]

Intriguing, of course, but Qualcomm will not be sitting still either, further improving their modems.

 

[Etc_]

Didn't Qualcomm say that it should be impossible to develop a modem as good and efficient as their own because of all the patents they hold?

 

[miric]

Could 'Change the Way iPhone Looks...'

Will it have its own bump? 😂

 

[Eorlas]

Didn't Qualcomm say that it should be impossible to develop a modem as good and efficient as their own because of all the patents they hold?

they might be right. theyre also not without a reason to make this claim, even if it’s not true

 

[thegerman]

I think we all know that Apple isn't the best when it comes to connectivity. Even with a Qualcomm modem, Android often has the better connection. So what's the point of Apple's own modem?

If I'm in a life-threatening situation, I just hope I have not to use my iPhone with own 5G modem…

 

[coffeemilktea]

Apple is looking to play "the long game, hoping its modem will evolve into a more advanced component that could ultimately change the way an iPhone looks and works."

Considering the current Qualcomm modem is a chip that's at most 1/5th the size of an average adult's fingernail, I'm not sure this is the component that's really holding the iPhone back from looking (and "working") differently. 🤪

Well, who knows... maybe some visionary at Apple has some idea about newer and better modems... or at least modems that would lead to more reliable AirDrops. 😝

 

[Chazak]

Apple always changes everything...from Apple Sil now to the modem

I'm not sure what your point is. Are you saying they should have not developed and used Apple Silicon or continued to use Broadcom modems if they think they can do better? If you are standing still in tech, you are actually going backwards

 

[7thson]

What will happen first? Apple releases a 5g modem that doesn’t infringe on Qualcomm’s patents? Or Qualcomm’s patents expire?

 

[DaniTheFox]

Does this mean we will finally have a mobile connection in our laptops?

 

[CrysisDeu]

So basically how Huawei SOCs are like for the past few years?
I welcome 5g on laptops, should came a long time ago

 

[Col4bin]

I want to see what Apple has been working on for the past 5-6 years that's ready to release now. Not just speculation of future maybes and unfulfilled promises.

 

[freedomlinux]

So what's the point of Apple's own modem?

Money. The licensing fees paid to Qualcomm are based on the total retail prices of the product, estimated to average $7.50 per device.

Here's How Much Apple Was Paying Qualcomm in Royalties | The Motley Fool

The Mac maker was paying the mobile chip giant over $1 billion per year.

www.fool.com

If Apple manages to make their own modems, avoid using Qualcomm's IP, and reduce their licensing fees, that adds up over millions/billions of devices. It doesn't matter if you get a slightly-worse-but-good-enough modem if they can save $5.

 

[Etc_]

What will happen first? Apple releases a 5g modem that doesn’t infringe on Qualcomm’s patents? Or Qualcomm’s patents expire?

I think Apple's goal could be to develop their own modem and use some of Qualcomm's patents, paying a license fee for that instead of getting the whole product from Qualcomm (if it's true what Qualcomm says, that it is impossible to develop a modem equal to theirs).

 

[mfram]

No one "cares" about the modem in their phone... unless it sucks. Doesn't anyone remember the crappy performance with the Intel modems in the past when Apple crammed those in the phones? Verizon had the Qualcomm modems and did great. AT&T phones had the Intel modem which had crappy performance. Well, guess what? The Apple modem is just a continuation of the Intel modem. If the iPhone 16 has the Qualcomm modem and the iPhone 17 has the Apple modem, believe me there's going to be all kinds of reviewers which show how the "new" one compares to the old. Apple better get it right or the Internet will be ruthless.

 

[Harry Haller]

Does this mean we will finally have a mobile connection in our laptops?

Sure, as long as it's not a Mac.
Apple wants you to have to buy 2 or 3 devices instead of one.
An amazing benefit of the ecosystem.
For Apple.

Want a touch screen computer?
Toss an iPad into the cart with your MacBook.
Want a mobile connection with your MacBook?
Toss an iPhone into the cart with you MacBook
Want an Apple pencil for your iPhone?
Nevermind.

 

[TechnoMonk]

Just like AS providing unique benefit of unified memory for both GPU/CPU. Hope the tight integration of modem with phone can provide some important features.

 

[obviouslogic]

Intriguing, of course, but Qualcomm will not be sitting still either, further improving their modems.

Doesn’t matter if Apple wants to integrate it into their SoCs, they’ll have to design their own.

 

[ghostface147]

I care. Qualcomm is the only game in town that is reliable and works the best it can. We don’t want the inferior Intel modems.

 

[Etc_]

If the iPhone 16 has the Qualcomm modem and the iPhone 17 has the Apple modem, believe me there's going to be all kinds of reviewers which show how the "new" one compares to the old. Apple better get it right or the Internet will be ruthless.

Because of that, I think the iPhone will be the last product to get Apple's modem. They are likely to put it in the iPads first (and maybe finally in the MacBooks), improving and iterating it there before it is used in the iPhones.