What you should know
- Apple originally tasked Intel with developing a 5G modem chip to avoid dealing with Qualcomm
- Apple ended up paying Qualcomm a large sum of money to drop all lawsuits and agree to ship 5G modem chips to Apple
- Apple’s goal was to have its 5G modem chip ready for the iPhone 15 and 17 models, but it appears unlikely to happen
- Apple and Qualcomm signed a deal to keep Apple supplied with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 5G modem chips through 2026
Full Story
Apple originally tasked Intel with developing a 5G modem chip so it wouldn’t have to keep dealing with Qualcomm, but eventually Apple paid Qualcomm to drop all lawsuits and agree to ship 5G modem chips to Apple. However, Apple’s homegrown 5G modem chip is taking too long to develop, as Apple’s hoped-for time frames for its completion are proving unrealistic.
Apple eventually signed a deal with Qualcomm to keep supplied with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 5G modem chips through 2026. Apple might have trouble getting its 5G modem chip finished by 2025, a few years later than it originally hoped.
Apple’s efforts to build its own 5G modem chip have been rough, as it has struggled to overcome overheating and size problems. As a result, the iPhone 15 line is using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 5G modem. It seems likely that Apple will need to extend its contract with Qualcomm again beyond 2026 if it can’t get its own 5G modem chip ready by then.
