Although Apple is reportedly developing its own 5G chip for future iPhones, at least one analyst believes Qualcomm will remain the 5G supplier for all iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, not using its own 5G chip until at least 2025.
In a research note on Friday (shared by MacRumors), Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu said he expects iPhone models released in 2024 to use Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon X75 modem. The X75 is expected to be manufactured based on TSMC’s 4nm process.
In June 2022, Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that Apple’s feverish efforts to develop its own 5G modem chip “may have failed,” meaning the company will need to continue to rely on its current modem provider, Qualcomm, for its 2023 iPhone. Kuo said he believes that Apple would continue to develop its own 5G chip, but he did not include a timeframe as to when the chip would be ready for use in the company’s iPhones.
All four iPhone 15 models are expected to be equipped with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon X70 modem, announced in February. The X70 theoretically supports up to 10 Gbps download speeds, with artificial intelligence capabilities for faster average speeds, improved coverage, better signal quality, lower latency, and up to 60% improved power efficiency.
Apple’s development of its own 5G modem, which reportedly kicked off in early 2020, has been widely reported.
Apple in July 2019 purchased the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business. The transaction was valued at $1 billion Apple said at the time that the purchase will “help expedite our development on future products and allow Apple to further differentiate moving forward.”