iPhone 15 Will Continue To Feature Qualcomm’s 5G Modems, But Apple Has Not Abandoned Its Custom Solution Yet

Omar Sohail
Qualcomm 5G modem chip

As Apple struggles with its custom modem development, the company’s setbacks continue to give Qualcomm an opportunity in the iPhone 5G modem space. Just like the iPhone 14 series, the iPhone 15 will continue to feature 5G modems mass-produced by Qualcomm, and this time, these chips will be significantly more advanced.

Going by the launch timeline, the iPhone 15 will likely feature Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon X70 baseband chips

The latest report from DigiTimes that was spotted by MacRumors states that TSMC will develop chips used for the upcoming Snapdragon 5G modem. According to an earlier teardown of the iPhone 14 Pro, the flagship featured a Snapdragon X65 modem, which only means that the iPhone 15 series will be treated to the Snapdragon X70 in 2023.

Given that TSMC is currently mass-producing 4nm wafers for a variety of clients, including Qualcomm, the Snapdragon X70 fabricated on the aforementioned architecture will make it extremely power-efficient. In fact, Qualcomm stated that its Snapdragon X70 can deliver up to a 60 percent improvement in power consumption while also commanding higher bandwidth, lower latency, better signal quality, and more.

Snapdragon X70 5G modem will likely be a part of the iPhone 15 series next year

In short, the iPhone 15 will not only get improved battery life with Qualcomm’s latest 5G modems, but if the user is in a tough spot, the improved signal quality means these devices will be better at communicating with satellites. As for Apple, the company is not expected to debut its in-house 5G modem until 2025, and even then, it is not like the technology giant will completely abandon Qualcomm.

The level of complexity when developing an in-house 5G modem is greater than churning out an Apple A-series or M-series SoC every year. Apple likely found out the hard way that it needs to keep its business relationship with Qualcomm sparking and alive for several more years, at least until it becomes self-sufficient in mass producing its own solution in the millions.

News Source: DigiTimes

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