Apple will remain tied to Qualcomm even after the successful launch of its custom 5G modem. See how

Η Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), recently renewed its 5G licensing agreement with Qualcomm because it continues to face development challenges with its in-house solution. With the back-to-back delays, the tech giant reportedly won't release its custom 5G modem until late 2025 or early 2026, with the first batch likely to debut on the new iPhones. However, even if the launch is successful, a new report says that Apple will continue to rely on Qualcomm's 5G modems, but not necessarily for the iPhone.

Qualcomm may continue to supply Apple 5G modems for iPad, Apple Watch and Mac

Δεν είναι σαφές πόσες μονάδες σκοπεύει να κατασκευάσει η Apple από τα προσαρμοσμένα μόντεμ 5G της, αλλά δεδομένου ότι καθένα από αυτά θα τη βοηθήσει να αυξήσει τα περιθώριά του σε σύγκριση με ένα iPhone με τσιπ βασικής ζώνης Qualcomm, πιθανότατα θα είναι προνόμιο της εταιρείας να τα παράγει μαζικά σε τα εκατομμύρια. Ωστόσο, ακόμη και αυτό δεν θα βοηθήσει στη διακοπή της συνεργασίας με την Qualcomm, όπως λέει ο Mark Gurman του Bloomberg στο τελευταίο του ενημερωτικό δελτίο «Power On» ότι τα εσωτερικά μόντεμ 5G της Apple θα χρειαστούν τουλάχιστον άλλα δύο ή τρία χρόνια για να φτάσουν στο Apple Watch. iPad και Mac.

“But the real test will be whether Apple can successfully apply its do-it-yourself approach to new areas. This includes her construction of its own cellular modem, a component now expected to be ready around 2026. The company will then likely need two or three more years to put that chip in cellular versions of the Apple Watch and iPad — and Mac , once part is integrated into the company's system-on-a-chip.”

With its current estimated release schedule, Apple's first internal 5G modem is said to arrive in late 2025 at the earliest, and based on Gurman's estimate, Qualcomm will continue to supply for another two to three years. During that time, after the last deal expires, Qualcomm may charge Apple extra based on the losses that would result from the loss of iPhone 5G modem orders.

In short, Apple will not get rid of the San Diego company this year, although its efforts in this direction should be praised. Another company Apple plans to reduce its reliance on is Broadcom, with plans to mass-produce custom Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips. Unfortunately, the tech giant was originally supposed to release both in 2025, but as with the development of the 5G modem, Apple continues to face obstacles with these chips. We'll be waiting until the end of 2025 to see the fruits of the company's progress, so stay tuned.