Kuo: iPhone 17 to Feature Apple-Designed Wi-Fi 7 Chip

At least one iPhone 17 model launching next year will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, according to Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Apple Wi Fi Chip Feature Triad
All current iPhone models are equipped with a combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip supplied by Broadcom, but Kuo expects Apple to equip "nearly all" of its products with its own in-house Wi-Fi chip "within about three years." The analyst said this move would reduce Apple's component costs and further bolster Apple's hardware and software integration.

All four iPhone 16 models already support Wi-Fi 7 with Broadcom's chip, but with some limited specifications. Kuo said Apple's in-house Wi-Fi chip will support "the latest Wi-Fi 7 spec," but he did not provide any further details. The chip will be manufactured with TSMC's 7nm manufacturing process known as N7, he added.

Kuo has aligned with information shared last year by Jeff Pu, another analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain. Pu said the iPhone 17 Pro models would be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, and he said the in-house chip would expand to the entire iPhone 18 lineup the following year.

Apple is also expected to launch its own 5G chip next year, starting in the next iPhone SE and the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 model at a minimum. There have been conflicting rumors about whether the Apple-designed 5G and Wi-Fi chips will be separate chips, or one combined chip with 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS capabilities.

Wi-Fi 7 allows for data transmission over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously with a supported router, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connectivity. Wi-Fi 7 can provide peak speeds of over 40 Gbps, a 4× increase over Wi-Fi 6E, if a device supports the maximum specifications.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air

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Top Rated Comments

gpat Avatar
19 weeks ago
Disaster waiting to happen.
For the love of God, stick to Qualcomm and Broadcom for connectivity.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
d5aqoëp Avatar
19 weeks ago
The current half-arsed Wifi 7/6e chips Apple is using are really a shame for such ultra expensive devices. Apple can't even do 320Mhz channel Width for 6Ghz Wifi7. Apple does say that my iPhone 15 Pro and 16 Pro now support 160Mhz channel Width on 5Ghz, but still my phones only connect at 1200 Mbps link speeds on Ubiquiti U7 Pros. Which means they are still limited to 5Ghz 80Mhz width.

I really had hoped that Apple used some competent Wifi7 + Bluetooth 5.4 combo chip like QCNCM865 from Qualcomm or even Intel BE200 to run their iPhones on next gen wireless networks.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
19 weeks ago
To avoid dropping the Wi-Fi connection, one must stand on one leg, rub his tummy, and hold the phone only with the pinky and index finger. #antennagate2 Wifi Snafu
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
StuBeck Avatar
19 weeks ago
This comment will be updated with more details.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
19 weeks ago
I know this is a bit beside the point, but I wish Apple would get back into making wifi base stations.

If they're serious about being a major player in the smart home, owning the access point would be a valuable asset.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Alwis Avatar
19 weeks ago
This convinces me to buy an iPhone 16 Pro, let others find the bugs in Apple's design. If the current quality of Apple software is any indication the new Wifi chip is probably usable in 10 years...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)