‘Apple has started developing its own modem for smartphones this year’

Apple has started developing its own modems this year for use in iPhones, among other things, reports financial news agency Bloomberg. The manufacturer now uses modems from chip designer Qualcomm, but would eventually want to replace it with its own models.

According to Bloomberg, Apple sees the development of its own modem as a strategically important step. It is unknown why the manufacturer did not start development earlier: rumors about this have been going on for years and Apple bought the smartphone modem division from Intel a year ago. Despite this, Apple will not need the modems in the coming years, because the company agreed with Qualcomm to use Qualcomm modems until the end of May 2024.

To develop the modem, Apple not only acquired Intel’s division, but it also hired many people who previously worked for Qualcomm. Developing a modem is complex and there are only a few major suppliers worldwide. In addition to Qualcomm, these include Samsung and Huawei.

Apple began developing its own chips more than a decade ago after acquiring PA Semi. That started with the Apple A4-soc in the first iPad and the iPhone 4. This was followed by more own chips, such as the S-series from socs for the Apple Watch and the W and H chips for audio devices. Meanwhile, an M1-soc for Macs has been added.