Apple will produce its own 5G modem by 2022, according to reports.
The Cupertino firm is widely expected to hold off from introducing 5G technology to its iPhone range in 2019, despite competitors such as Samsung introducing 5G modems as carriers begin to roll-out the high-speed data service in countries like the US and UK.
According to some reports, however, the company will release a 5G iPhone in 2020 and then switch to its own Apple-powered modem two years later in 2022 or 2023.
Qualcomm deal
The company will, in the meantime, rely on Qualcomm’s version having signed a deal with the company earlier in the year, amid pressure from investors to secure a 5G partner as soon as possible.
Now, Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that Apple will launch its own 5G modem for iPhones, with Tim Cook and co reportedly not happy about having to use a modem from Qualcomm temporarily, a deal that will cost the company hundreds of millions.
Speaking of the news, Kuo, who is a reliable analyst, said: “We believe that the content of Apple and Qualcomm’s previous settlement includes Qualcomm’s release of partly 5G baseband chip source code to Apple for Apple’s development of its own 5G PA/FEM.”
Paving the way for 5G
When Apple includes the Qualcomm modem in its 2020 iPhones, the company will reportedly use its own power amplifier and front-end module rather than Qualcomm’s, which helps it to lay the groundwork to introduce its own modem in the coming years.
Apple’s 5G iPhone will support sub-6GHz and above-6GHz frequencies, with a high-end 6.7-inch OLED model (the successor to the iPhone XS Max), a 5.4-inch OLED model (iPhone XS successor) and a low-end 6.1-inch OLED version model.
Contrary to some reports, Kuo expects Apple will keep the low-end model 4G only, so users wanting to access the latest cellular plans and high-speed internet must upgrade to a more expensive iPhone – an unusual move, but it makes sense.
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