Apple's own 5G modem is expected to debut in the next iPhone SE. Photo: HWZ
Apple's 5G modem plans have been detailed in a new report by Bloomberg.
According to Bloomberg, Apple is believed to be embarking on a three-year rollout of its in-house 5G modems to eventually replace those from Qualcomm.
The iPhone maker plans to deploy its first 5G modem, codenamed Sinope, in the rumoured iPhone SE 4, iPhone 17 Air, and some entry-level iPad models.
Sinope is said to be inferior to the latest Qualcomm modems. For example, it will not support mmWave 5G band and only has four-carrier aggregation (compared to six or more carrier-aggregation). Therefore, the download speeds of Sinope are very likely to be considerably lower than Qualcomm's current non-mmWave modems.
That said, Apple plans to introduce faster, more advanced 5G modems in 2026 and 2027. The 2026 modem is rumoured to be used across the iPhone 18 lineup and higher-end iPad models.
Apple's shift from Qualcomm's modems to its in-house modems is tipped to start next year with the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone SE. Photo: MacRumors
The 2026 modem's specs could include support for mmWave, download speeds of up to 6Gbps, 6-carrier aggregation with sub-6 5G band, and 8-carrier aggregation with mmWave. For 2027, Apple's modem is tipped to have built-in satellite connectivity and should surpass Qualcomm's offerings in performance.
Aside from the iPhone and iPad lineup, Apple is also considering using its 5G modems in Macs and the Vision Pro.
This three-year rollout plan coincides nicely with the expiry of Apple's 5G modem contract with Qualcomm, which it extended earlier this year until 2027.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple's 5G modem shipments will grow rapidly starting next year, which could hit 35 million to 40 million units. By 2027, Kuo estimates that 160 to 180 million units could be shipped.
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