A new report from Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes today says multiple suppliers are vying for a piece of Apple’s much-rumored 5G modem project, wanting to assist in the final assembly of the chips. While Apple chipmaking partner TSMC will likely manufacture the custom-designed modem, the final packaging stage could actually be handed by other suppliers.
DigiTimes says ASE Technology and Amkor Technology are “competing” to package the modem chips. The two companies reportedly already have experience with packaging Qualcomm’s modem chips. Qualcomm currently is responsible for supplying all of Apple’s 5G modem needs and provides 5G modems for all of the iPhone 14 lineup.
Apple is reportedly been working on its own in-house 5G chip. As mentioned by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman in January, Apple is planning to use its 5G modem in just one device initially, possibly in at least one iPhone 16 model. The Cupertino firm plans to fully phase out Qualcomm’s modems over three years following the use in the single device.
It’s also possible that Apple could first use the 5G chip in an iPad, as the device is a much lower-volume product. Ideally, the in-house 5G chip will perform competitively with Qualcomm’s chips. The switch to an in-house design will almost certainly lead to reduced production costs for Apple over time.
All iPhone 15 models are expected to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 modem, which will provide improved cellular speeds and power efficiency compared to the Snapdragon X65 currently used in all iPhone 14 models.