Apple is working on a new in-house chip that would power cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth functionality on its devices, according to a report from Bloomberg. The company is also developing its own chip that would replace the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip it currently uses from Broadcom, Bloomberg says, which it wants to begin using in devices in 2025.
Bloomberg also shared some new information about Apple’s efforts to develop its own cellular modems to replace Qualcomm’s. While Qualcomm recently said it expects to have the “vast majority” of 5G modems for 2023 iPhones, Bloomberg says Apple will use its own modems “by the end of 2024 or early 2025.” It will apparently start by using its custom modem in one product and fully transition them over the course of approximately three years.
Should Apple bring these chips to production, they would mark yet more additions to the company’s growing number of custom chips, which already includes things like its A-series system-on-a-chip lineup. However, the cellular modem has seemingly proven tricky to develop. The company acquired “the majority” of Intel’s smartphone modem business in 2019, and Nikkei reported in 2021 that Apple wanted to use its own 5G modem starting in 2023, but Qualcomm’s recent comments indicate that Apple won’t be switching until 2024 at the earliest.
It’s unclear when a combined cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth chip could be included in an iPhone. Given that we might still be waiting a while for the in-house cellular modem on its own, we could be a long ways out from a combined component. Apple, Broadcom, and Qualcomm didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
