Apple reportedly abandons in-house 5G modem development

Apple is reportedly discontinuing the in-house modem development project. According to a report by MacRumors, the American tech giant is ceasing the development of custom 5G modem chips after several unsuccessful attempts.

The report said that the sources related to Apple’s 5G modem departments claim that the company’s attempts to develop its own modem have failed so far and that the company is in the process of winding down its years-long investment in the project.

In September, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple’s attempt to produce in-house modem chips has been hampered by major problems related to unrealistic goals, an inadequate understanding of the challenges involved, and unusable prototypes.

Apple started working on its custom modems after the Cupertino-based company acquired the majority of Intel’s smartphone modem business in 2019.

Earlier, Apple analyst Mark Gurman reported that Apple is working on several key components for their upcoming devices, such as an indigenous cellular modem, MicroLED displays, camera sensors, and more.

According to his report, Apple plans to replace Qualcomm’s modem components that are currently used on iPhones with their in-house cellular modem, which is expected to be ready by 2026. However, due to development setbacks, it might take an additional two to three years to get the chip inside cellular versions of Apple Watch and iPads.

Gurman said the American tech giant is actively working on other key components as well, including a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is currently scheduled for 2025. Business Standard