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Why Apple never put cellular connectivity in MBP's

HiVolt

HiVolt

macrumors 68020
Original poster
As rumors of a redesigned MBP coming in the fall are in full swing, some are suggesting that Apple may finally include a cellular modem in that MBP, for the first time ever, because they now produce their own cell modems.

But I've often wondered, and i'm sure it's been discussed, why Apple has never offered that as an option, given that PC laptops have offered these for 20+ years.

Yes I know we can tether from phones, and Apple does make it easier to use, but it's not perfect, it does randomly disconnect or stop working, and if you happen to walk away with your phone, the connection gets lost. A native, built in solution works a lot better, and I have used PC laptops with it built in, and it's a seamless experience.

Of course Apple had offered cellular connection on iPads, but even at this stage of the iPadOS, it's can't be a full laptop replacement due to still many iPadOS limitations.

Curious to hear your ideas as to why it has never materialized, and would you want one.
 
This research might have a few answers for you about the overall market.

As for Apple, I suspect they were holding off for their own cellular modem and redesigned MacBook Pro to minimize cost.

That said, I think the these will be low volume SKUs since businesses have been the primary buyers and most have strong RTO policies (negating the need), want to minimize recurring costs (eg cell plans), and have strict and reliable VPN software (at least in my experience with FAANG employers)
 
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The cost factor never really made sense, as they were happily charging extra for iPad cellular connectivity, and it was always 3rd party cell modems. Not sure why it was never a BTO option. couldn't be made with a cellular modem in the past, for a fee, which Apple is happy to charge for other "low volume" options like Matte displays in the past or now the Nano texture models.
 
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Because the demand is extremely niche. Even on the ThinkPad side of the world, cellular is very rare and used for specialized fleets.

Think about it. If someone is willing to sit down, flip open their MacBook, and do serious work, that additional click to tether their iPhone is nothing. On the other hand, iPad is an “always on” device. Users expect instant response and plenty of people rely on iPad to do field work. Cellular makes sense there.

The Qualcomm cost factor or waiting for in-house modem was never an issue. Even with their modem, Apple still has to pay Qualcomm and Huawei for IP licensing due to 5G and LTE patents.
 
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I think Apple just gave up on a segment that they could have grown over the years. BTW, they could have done it just like the PC's do, pretty much all business/office grade laptops have a sim slot and a slot inside for a modem.

Just have an option. Now you don't even need a SIM slot for most markets as eSIM's are a thing.
 
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HiVolt said:
I think Apple just gave up on a segment that they could have grown over the years. BTW, they could have done it just like the PC's do, pretty much all business/office grade laptops have a sim slot and a slot inside for a modem.

Just have an option. Now you don't even need a SIM slot for most markets as eSIM's are a thing.
Click to expand...

There’s not much to grow because the demand isn’t there. It’s like trying to grow the iPhone mini or Air segment. The market has already spoken through similar attempts on the Android side. Look at Snapdragon X Elite notebooks. Which one of them have WWAN? And that’s Qualcomm’s bread and butter.

It’s not just a SIM slot, the notebook lid needs to be redesigned for the antenna. The logic board needs to have space reserved for the RF components. Apple's not the type to do it like PCs. Their design team is not going to accept an M.2 slot design.
 
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JPack said:
Their design team is not going to accept an M.2 slot design.
Click to expand...
Well that's just dumb. They used to have socketed WiFi cards. And lets not get started about thickness, there are far thinner laptops than the current, rather fat MBP's, that offer cellular options.
 
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JPack said:
It’s not just a SIM slot, the notebook lid needs to be redesigned for the antenna. The logic board needs to have space reserved for the RF components. Apple's not the type to do it like PCs. Their design team is not going to accept an M.2 slot design.
Click to expand...
Antenna yes, perhaps. An e-sim however negates the rest. I say this as I've also wondered why Apple hasn't gone in this direction in the past, especially relevant as an option in countries that don't have a great (or safe) WiFi network to negate a cellular option.

Well, having said that, I must look up the other limitation of plan add-ons. There's plenty of those with additional ph numbers for family members and such but I never looked at this use case.
 
Whats funny is back in the day it was easy to add one to a MBP, because they had the Card slots, but those went away with the unibody design.
 
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remember the far side : the bozo layer protecting space from the harmful effects of earth (or something like that) apple is protecting the cell networks from the harmful effects of it's users (no need to be serious but how many of you really are willing to pay for that service - I say you because I for one will not)
 
klasma said:
And I think the other poster meant that Apple doesn’t care if you tether your MacBook to an iPhone or to a cellular iPad.
Click to expand...

Of course they don’t care. Because now you’ve bought a second device for the cellular connectivity to work, instead of the radio being in the MacBook. Thus negating the need to ‘buy a phone to tether’. That’s the point they were making.

I don’t necessarily agree, and I think we will see a MacBook with cellular capabilities… it is a bit odd we haven’t seen it yet.
 
Alpha Centauri said:
Antenna yes, perhaps. An e-sim however negates the rest. I say this as I've also wondered why Apple hasn't gone in this direction in the past, especially relevant as an option in countries that don't have a great (or safe) WiFi network to negate a cellular option.

Well, having said that, I must look up the other limitation of plan add-ons. There's plenty of those with additional ph numbers for family members and such but I never looked at this use case.
Click to expand...

Given most of the world still physical SIM, Apple isn't going to do eSIM if there's space for a card.

Again, it all comes down to demand. MacBook owners sophisticated enough to regularly use cellular will likely carry a mobile hotspot so they don't need a separate plan for their tablet. These hotspots weigh less than 0.5 lb and can even act as a battery bank.

www.netgear.com

Nighthawk 5G M7 Portable WiFi Hotspot with eSIM

NOTICE OF U.S. CARRIER COMPATIBILTY — AT&T certification is complete; please contact AT&T customer support or visit your nearest AT&T store to acquire an M7-compatible data plan. T-Mobile certification is complete, support for eSIM is expected March 2026. Verizon device certification is expected...
www.netgear.com www.netgear.com
 
JPack said:
Given most of the world still physical SIM, Apple isn't going to do eSIM if there's space for a card.

Again, it all comes down to demand. MacBook owners sophisticated enough to regularly use cellular will likely carry a mobile hotspot so they don't need a separate plan for their tablet. These hotspots weigh less than 0.5 lb and can even act as a battery bank.

www.netgear.com

Nighthawk 5G M7 Portable WiFi Hotspot with eSIM

NOTICE OF U.S. CARRIER COMPATIBILTY — AT&T certification is complete; please contact AT&T customer support or visit your nearest AT&T store to acquire an M7-compatible data plan. T-Mobile certification is complete, support for eSIM is expected March 2026. Verizon device certification is expected...
www.netgear.com www.netgear.com
Click to expand...
Disagree. Apple is removing slots, not adding them. It'll be E-SIM and they'll say deal with it.

I also see integrated cellular as a premium feature. 'Sophisticated' users will want it integrated, and not having to bring a second required device. Just like on cellular iPad. Extra cost, extra plan, but people who want it still opt for it, despite having the same opportunity to carry a separate hotspot device
 
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I’ve always assumed it was a mix of battery life, cost, and carrier complexity. Apple likely didn’t want to fragment the Mac lineup . That said, with Apple Silicon and in-house modems, it finally feels technically and strategically viable.
 
the demand is too niche in my opinion. it makes more sense to have LTE in a rugged laptop that is probably used at a factory or by some kind of technician going around. and those I often see using tablets instead anyways.
 
Apple looked at the idea way back when and decided for whatever reason not to go ahead at the time. I presume, them knowing how the iPad evolution would go, that mobile full internet access would be a focus for a large display you carry with you vs mac with integrated cellular, i.e then to be released iPad.

That's a very Steve Jobs rationale of how things would and should be.

Those who need it would tether, others might buy an iPad so why miss out by improving something which might take a sale away. I guess it's something like that anyway.

These days, without it being anywhere near as power consuming as back then, nor complex to build in, probably makes much more sense.

Here's some history:

www.macrumors.com

Photos of a Prototype MacBook Pro with Integrated 3G Cellular Modem

One of the most requested features for Apple's MacBook Pro line has been for the integration of some sort of built-in 3G cellular data to allow for anywhere wireless connectivity. MacBook Pro users presently need to purchase a separate Mi-Fi or 3G USB Modem in order to keep their machines...
www.macrumors.com www.macrumors.com
 
I have doubts about the utility of the system, ok I'm not in a major urban area and can avoid cell coverage in my perambulations thus cell phone coverage is not a big deal, seems satellite coverage coupled with power generation would be preferable to cell phone options
 
HiVolt said:
As rumors of a redesigned MBP coming in the fall are in full swing, some are suggesting that Apple may finally include a cellular modem in that MBP, for the first time ever, because they now produce their own cell modems.

But I've often wondered, and i'm sure it's been discussed, why Apple has never offered that as an option, given that PC laptops have offered these for 20+ years.

Yes I know we can tether from phones, and Apple does make it easier tHey everyone! Just chiming in here—I saw @Techie123 mentioned the MacBook Air and wanted to say I finally caved and got one too. Honestly, it feels almost magical how light it is, and for my basic needs, it runs super smooth. Not saying it’s perfect for heavy stuff, but it’s been a joy for daily tasks.
Click to expand...

When @GizmoGuru brought up the battery life, I totally relate. I think it's pretty impressive? I’ve gone almost a whole day without needing to plug in and it still surprises me. Not 100% sure about how it holds up with intense use, but for regular surfing and streaming, it’s rock solid.

Still figuring out all the tricks, and TBH, I’m no power user. If anyone has secret tips to maximize the experience, would love to hear them! 😊
HiVolt said:
o use, but it's not perfect, it does randomly disconnect or stop working, and if you happen to walk away with your phone, the connection gets lost. A native, built in solution works a lot better, and I have used PC laptops with it built in, and it's a seamless experience.

Of course Apple had offered cellular connection on iPads, but even at this stage of the iPadOS, it's can't be a full laptop replacement due to still many iPadOS limitations.

Curious to hear your ideas as to why it has never materialized, and would you want one.
Click to expand...
 
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