The iPhone 15 will reportedly be the last model with a 5G chip from Qualcomm in 2023, if the modem manufacturer's CEO is right.
Apple has long been working on developing its own 5G modem chipset to replace the chips purchased from Qualcomm. There have already been plenty of rumors about the debut – but it seems certain that the iPhone 15 series will rely on Qualcomm. Now Cristiano Amon, CEO and President of Qualcomm, has publicly stated that expressedwhen Apple will replace his company's product. In an interview onstage at Mobile World Congress 2023, Amon told Joanna Stern of the Wall Street Journal that it will likely be soon.
We expect Apple to be making its own modem by 2024, but if they need ours, they know where to find us.
At one point, Qualcomm reportedly told investors that it would only produce 20% of the modems for Apple's iPhone in 2023. This was later changed to the "vast majority" of that range. This change appears to be due to Apple's failure to complete its own 5G modem in time.
iPhone & iPad: Apple's own 5G chip would have several advantages
Apple's intention to build its own 5G chipset dates back to 2019, when it acquired Intel's smartphone modem business and hired 2,200 engineers. Building its own chipsets means it doesn't have to pay a third-party company for the equipment. But there are other benefits, too. For example, Apple could make different 5G modem chips for different devices. So a chip for the iPhone could favor voice calls while an iPad could be set to faster data transfers. Apple seems to have a 5G modem, or at least expects to have one soon. Rumor has it that one reason for the iPhone SE 4's alleged cancellation is that Apple wanted to use its own 5G chip in it and it performed poorly compared to Qualcomm's version. (Photo by dps studio / Bigstockphoto)
