Qualcomm’s 5G iPhone modem is on the way out much faster than expected, as Apple is now projected to rapidly move to using its own version, despite previous reports of delays.
Apple bought Intel’s 5G modem division for $1 billion in 2019, and at times has been said to be having difficulty, even to the extent that it was said to have abandoned its plans. More recently, however, it has been said that there will be two iPhones in 2025 which contain Apple’s modem instead of Qualcomm’s.
It was Kuo who reported that in July 2024. His latest report, though, projects how quickly he sees Apple replacing the Qualcomm modem.
My latest supply chain survey indicates that Apple’s in-house 5G chip shipments will grow rapidly and replace Qualcomm’s 5G chips. It’s estimated that Apple’s in-house 5G chip shipments will reach 35-40 million units in 2025, 90-110 million in 2026, and 160-180 million in 2027. https://t.co/miNhd324S9
— (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) September 6, 2024
Kuo says this information comes from his supply chain sources, and he has a good track record for supply details.
In July, he said that the two models getting Apple’s modem would be the entry-level iPhone SE 4, and the potentially high-end iPhone 17 Slim. The next iPhone SE is predicted to come in the first quarter of 2025, while the slim iPhone 17 will be announced in Apple’s launch in September of the same year.
Apple’s aim long been for its own technology to replace Qualcomm’s, so that it has greater and exclusive control over yet more of the hardware it sells. Until Apple’s model is ready, the company has been buying existing 5G modems from Qualcomm.
Most recently, it was said that Apple had bought a licence to use Qualcomm modems until at least March 2027. If Kuo is correct, though, Qualcomm will see a steep fall in its sales to Apple, as the iPhone maker is able to step up production.
The expected iPhone 17 Slim will not be released until the iPhone launch event in 2025. The September 9, 2024, “It’s Glowtime” event is at least very unlikely to include the iPhone SE 4.
