Apple To Add Own 5G Modem in cheap iPhone SE

After many years of rumors, Apple is now said to have the first self-developed 5G modem chip ready for the market. According to an insider, everything now indicates that Apple’s own 5G modem will make its debut in the iPhone SE.

Apple’s ambitious step into the 5G future

Apple is apparently close to reaching another important milestone in its chip strategy. After years of development work, the company’s first in-house 5G modem chip is finally set to make its debut next year. In one Bloomberg report It is said that Apple plans to initially use the new technology in its entry-level smartphone, the iPhone SE – and there is a simple reason for that. The Apple modem is initially not expected to be able to keep up with Qualcomm’s cutting-edge technology, so it will not initially be used in the iPhone flagship models.

In the long term, however, the new chip project will reduce dependence on external suppliers. The path to its own modem was not easy for Apple. Despite significant investments, including the acquisition of Intel’s modem division for about a billion dollars, the market launch was repeatedly delayed. Early prototypes struggled with problems such as heat generation and a lack of energy efficiency – and it is also said that they were simply too big.

But after restructuring and hiring numerous experts, including former Qualcomm engineers, Apple is now said to be on the home stretch. Apple’s first 5G chip is not yet expected to support the fast mmWave 5G. In lab tests, the chip achieved download speeds of about 4 gigabits per second – less than the top speeds of Qualcomm’s non-mmWave modems. It is also said that Apple still needs to work on compatibility with mobile phone providers.

Codenames and schedule

As Bloomberg further reports, Apple’s first 5G modem is being developed under the code name “Sinope”. According to the news agency’s sources, the chip will first be used in the new iPhone SE in spring 2025, followed by a thinner mid-range iPhone and possibly some iPad models.

Apple is already testing the modem internally on hundreds of devices that have been distributed to employees worldwide. Apple has ambitious plans for the future of its modem technology:

• 2026: Second generation with mmWave support for the entire iPhone 18 series and high-end iPads
• 2027: Third generation modem “Prometheus” is expected to surpass Qualcomm’s technology in performance and AI functions

The move to own modems is part of Apple’s long-term strategy to increase control over key components of its devices and reduce dependence on external suppliers. But this will be a bitter blow for Qualcomm, which has so far generated more than 20 percent of its sales from Apple.