Apple has been directing itself on a self-reliant platform with the launch of the Apple M1 chipset, which would not only decrease their dependency on other chip manufacturers but would also help them in decreasing the manufacturing cost of the devices. Now the company aims to replace components from Qualcomm and has started building its own cellular modem for future devices. As per senior Vice President of Hardware Technologies Johny Srouji to Bloomberg, “This year, we kicked off the development of our first internal cellular modem which will enable another key strategic transition.
Long-term strategic investments like these are a critical part of enabling our products and making sure we have a rich pipeline of innovative technologies for our future.” Apple acquired the Intel Corps modem business in 2019 which allowed them to build a team of hardware and software engineers, which could help them develop their own modem. The modem can be used in the future iPhones for faster call and internet connection via networks. The new modem would be among the few wireless chips that Apple has started working on.
Currently, Apple uses those parts from Qualcomm for iPhone 12 series with 5G. With Qualcomm charging a license fee based on wireless patents it owns, Apple in 2019 signed a patent agreement with Qualcomm that includes a six-year licensing pact. Therefore, we can definitely see Apple bringing in their own modem chip in the future iPhone series after the patent agreement ends. For now, the company has been working on developing a new kind of modem chipset.