Apple has long conform to a scheme of consolidate the hardware provision chain within its own lot . Shifting aside fromIntel to in - house M - series processorswas one of the biggest stakes in late memory . Now , the troupe is eyeing the same strategy for a vital part that allows iPhones to , well , act like speech sound .
According to Apple tipster Mark Gurman atBloomberg , Apple will finally put its own cellular modem inside iPhones and iPads starting next class . The plans will be executed over three years , spanning three generations of modem , as part of a plan to terminate Apple ’s reliance on Qualcomm for the part .
The first one in the serial is internally named Sinope , and it will make its show start with theiPhone SE 4next year . The highly await refresh is also rumored to embrace a mod design that in the end sheds the old Touch ID aesthetics with compact bezels , an update central processor , and support for Apple Intelligence .
In addition to the iPhone SE 4 , the modem is also tell to be appear insidethe iPhone 17 Slim ( or Air ) , a dramatically thinner new model that will launch in the second one-half of 2025 . It will make its way of life to low - end tab , too , most likely inside the upcoming refresh for the ledger entry - period iPad .
This modem , however , wo n’t be the fast around or even the most technically rewarding alternative out there , especially when compare to the solutions offered by Qualcomm . For example , it will be limited to the Sub-6GHz frequency band and wo n’t offer keep for mmWave 5 G , which reaches a peak theoretical speed of up to 10Gbps .
On the positive side , Sub-6GHz shape the backbone of 5 G deployment globally , peculiarly in developing countries . A core grounds for that is because that Sub-6GHz offers better coverage and signal insight , which fix it ideal for aggregative deployment and in non - urban centers .
The current - gen iPhone SE also does n’t offer mmWave 5 gee banding , so there ’s that . The Sinope cellular modem will also offer a tighter carrier aggregation ( four versus six on Qualcomm modems ) , a system that combines frequency block from multiple carriers to offer increase moment rate due to higher corporate bandwidth .
“ In research laboratory tests , the first Apple modem caps out at download speeds of about 4 gigabits per irregular , less than the top fastness offered by non - mmWave Qualcomm modem , ” says the Bloomberg study . The report , however , total that real - world swiftness are far less . The companionship is also planning to offer dual - SIM dual - standby cellular data adroitness with its modem .
What Apple is doing differently is integrating the cellular modem more deeply with the rest period of the innards . Thecellular modem will be manufactured by Apple ’s common collaborator , TSMC , and it will be closely linked with the chief A - serial silicon to achieve higher DOE efficiency and better cellular networking .
In 2026 , an upgrade cellular modem computer code - discover Ganymede will be fitted inside the iPhone 18 series and gamy - oddment iPads that will arrive at the shelves in 2027 . This one will support faster mmWave 5 G and better mailman collection . Down the road , Apple is hope to merge the modem into the primary board .
Apple ’s best try will reportedly get in in 2027 with a third iteration labeled Prometheus , named after the Hellenic mythical name who present fire to mankind . This one will seek to tumble Qualcomm ’s cellular modems in terms of in the raw carrying into action and backup for satellite connectivity .
Interestingly , Apple ’s modem ambition only picked up steam after poaching talent from Qualcomm . AppleacquiredIntel ’s smartphone modem business in 2019 , but its initial goals were reportedly hobbled by technological issues , leading to multiple hold .
Interestingly , in aninterview with Digital Trendsat IFA 2023 , Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon quipped that it would take Apple years to develop its own cellular modem and that he was “ convinced about our ability to be a supplier to Apple . ”
