Tech Desk 
Aug 19, 2024
Apple is rumoured to start equipping its smartphones with its in-house modem chip in 2025. The company has been working on its modem technology for years and cut its dependence on Qualcomm’s chips.
However, Apple has purportedly faced different challenges over the past few years, leading to several delays.
It is to be noted that, if the Cupertino-based tech giant introduces a new modem on an upcoming iPhone model next year, it might take years ahead Apple’s technology starts to offer significant advantages to customers.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the development of Apple’s modem chip has been pushed back “until next year at the earliest" due to issues with overheating and performance. This results in the iPhone 16 series, which is expected to launch within the next couple of months, is anticipated to be equipped with a Qualcomm modem.
Read more: iPhone 16 — Apple should learn THESE things from Pixel 9
Moreover, Gurman said new modems might be introduced progressively, beginning with “niche models”. This indicates that the arrival of the technology on all of Apple's iPhone models could take a few years.
Earlier, Tianfeng (TF) Securities International analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone SE 4 and a "slim" model in the reported iPhone 17 series — expected to launch in Q1 2025 and Q3 2025, respectively — would be equipped with its proprietary technology.
However, Apple’s move to change Qualcomm modems on the iPhone will help it cut costs to some extent (it might still have to pay some royalties to Qualcomm) it would take years until the company's chip brings noticeable updates over the ones it currently sources from Qualcomm, according to Gurman.
