Dec 07, 2024 12:00:00

Apple's proprietary 5G modem chip will be installed in the iPhone released in 2025, but it will reportedly be inferior in performance to existing Qualcomm chips

It has been reported that Apple is

developing its own 5G modem chip for the iPhone since the company acquired Intel's modem chip business . However, due to delays in the development of this 5G modem chip, Apple extended its contract with Qualcomm, the supplier of the 5G modem chip installed in existing iPhones, in September 2023. Since then, Apple has continued to develop its own 5G modem chip, which Bloomberg reported will finally be installed in the iPhone 17, scheduled to be released in 2025.

Apple's Three-Year Modem Road Map: Company Plans to Beat Qualcomm by 2027 - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-06/apple-s-three-year-modem-road-map-company-plans-to-beat-qualcomm-by-2027

Gurman: Apple-designed 5G modem coming to 2025 iPhones will be worse than Qualcomm's - 9to5Mac
https://9to5mac.com/2024/12/06/gurman-apple-designed-5g-modem-coming-to-2025-iphones-will-be-worse-than-qualcomms/

Apple is expected to release the fourth-generation iPhone SE in spring 2025 and the iPhone 17 Air in fall 2025, and these new iPhones are reportedly equipped with Apple's own 5G modem chip.

Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, who is well known for his leaks of Apple-related information, also confirmed that Apple plans to introduce its own 5G modem chip in 2025. Gurman also said that there is a 'possibility' that Apple's own 5G modem chip will be installed in the entry-level iPad scheduled to be released in 2025.

According to Garman, Apple's 5G modem chip is codenamed 'Sinope' and is not as advanced as Qualcomm's latest model. Therefore, it appears that the performance will be downgraded compared to the Qualcomm 5G modem chip in the iPhone 16 Pro.

The difference between Qualcomm's high-end 5G modem chips and Sinope's is that Sinope does not support mmWave (millimeter wave). mmWave is a high-speed communication that can handle download speeds of 10Gbit per second, but it also has the disadvantage of being vulnerable to obstacles. On the other hand, Sub6, which Sinope supports, is not as fast as mmWave, but it is resistant to obstacles.

Additionally, Sinope only supports four-carrier aggregation, a technology that simultaneously combines bands from multiple telecom providers to increase network capacity and speeds, while Qualcomm modems support six-plus carrier aggregation.

In addition, during the testing phase, Sinope's download speeds were limited to 4Gbit/s, which is slower than the download speeds of Qualcomm's 5G modem chips that do not support mmWave. Based on this information, 9to5Mac reported that 'It's clear that Apple's first 5G modem chip comes with compromises.'

According to Gurman, Apple plans to develop more advanced 5G modem chips between 2026 and 2027, and eventually replace Qualcomm's 5G modem chips in all iPhone models with its own.

The entire iPhone 18 series and the high-end iPad will also be equipped with Apple's 5G modem chip by 2026. The chip will support mmWave, achieve download speeds of 6Gbit/s, 6-carrier aggregation when using Sub6, and 8-carrier aggregation when using mmWave.

Apple's 5G modem chip, which will be released in 2027, will support satellite communications and is expected to surpass the performance of Qualcomm's 5G modem chip at this time.

Ming-Chi Kuo, an industry analyst who handles highly reliable leaks related to Apple, also reported that Apple will switch to its own 5G modem chip starting with the iPhone 17.

Apple may adopt its own Wi-Fi chip from iPhone 17, and may also transition to its own 5G modem at the same time - GIGAZINE