Apple is planning to build cellular-capable MacBook models that could hit shelves as soon as 2028, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman. Apple has been reported to be working on its own modem since 2018, as it seeks to wean itself from having Qualcomm as its iPhone modem provider. However, the modem’s release timeframe has slipped several times, as Apple has struggled to work the bugs out of the modem business it purchased from Intel.
While Apple’s modem is not expected to be ready for prime time until at least 2026, Gurman’s sources tell him that Apple has plans for using the modem in devices other than the iPhone.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman writes that Apple intends to integrate an in-house modem into its system-on-a-chip (SoC), which would eventually be used in MacBooks with built-in cellular connectivity.
Gurman says Apple will “probably need two or three additional years to get that chip inside cellular versions of the Apple Watch and iPad – and the Mac, once the part is integrated into the company’s system-on-a-chip.”
Gurman’s latest newsletter also said that Apple has other in-house chip projects including camera sensors, batteries, a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, Micro-LED displays, and a non-invasive glucose monitoring system.