Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL). is reportedly planning to transition to in-house 5G modems for its iPhones by 2025, a move that would reduce the tech giant's dependency on current supplier Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM). The first iPhone model to feature Apple's self-developed modem could be the iPhone SE 4th generation, according to renowned Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The company has been working on its own network modem for over five years, having acquired Intel’s Modem division in 2019. Despite this acquisition, Apple continues to rely on Qualcomm for 5G-enabled modems.
Kuo's report suggests that the upcoming iPhone 15 and next year's iPhone 16 lineup will continue using Qualcomm's 5G modems, with the iPhone 17 possibly being the first iPhone to use Apple's self-developed 5G modem.
However, Kuo suggested that due to supply-chain issues and problems regarding mass-production of the connectivity modem, the launch of Apple’s 5G modem might get delayed to 2025. It remains unclear what kind of improvements and benefits Apple's in-house modems will bring to the iPhones over Qualcomm's 5G chips.
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