5G

All of the iPhones in Apple's iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 lineups feature Qualcomm modems that support 5G, but potential buyers need to know that not all 5G networks are equal. There's the super fast mmWave (millimeter wave) 5G and the slower but more widespread Sub-6GHz 5G. In the United States, all of the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models support both mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G connectivity, but...

Apple has extended its modem chip licensing agreement with Qualcomm through March 2027, Qualcomm said today during its first earnings call of 2024. Apple's existing agreement has now been extended for two years, so we can expect to see Qualcomm modems in the next several iPhone generations. Apple has been working on developing its own 5G modem chip in-house for the last several years. The...

Qualcomm's latest cellular modem may be limited to the iPhone 16 Pro models this year, according to technology analyst Jeff Pu. In a research note today with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu reiterated his belief that the iPhone 16 Pro models will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem. However, he expects the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to retain the...

The iPhone 15 models are equipped with Qualcomm's X70 modem chip that promises faster 5G speeds than the X65 in the prior-generation iPhone 14 models, and testing shared by Ookla confirms that download speeds have notably improved. Using data collected from its online Speedtest for measuring connection speeds, Ookla has been able to determine that the ‌iPhone 15‌ models support download...

Apple's cellular band page confirms that only U.S. models of the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max support mmWave 5G bands, as has been the case since the iPhone 12 series was released in 2020. mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, which is ideal for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally...

Apple today announced a multibillion-dollar deal with American technology company Broadcom to make several key components for its devices in the United States. The multi-year agreement with Broadcom will see Apple use 5G radio frequency and wireless connectivity components, including FBAR filters, that are designed and manufactured in the U.S. Apple CEO Tim Cook said: We're thrilled to make...

The iPhone 15 series will continue to feature Qualcomm 5G modems, according to a report today by DigiTimes, as development at Apple on a custom-made chip continues. Apple is currently developing an in-house 5G modem that aims to replace Qualcomm's Snapdragon 5G chips within the coming years. The report today says that TSMC will be the main supplier of the Qualcomm 5G chip for use in the ‌iPho...

The upcoming developer and public beta of iOS 16.2 will officially enable 5G for iPhone in India on select carriers, Apple has told Indian Express. Apple had previously confirmed it was working with carriers in India, including Airtel and Jio, to bring 5G support to ‌iPhone‌ users in the country. Apple said it would begin its 5G rollout in the country in December. Now, the company says...

Apple will add support for 5G on compatible iPhones for Indian carriers through a software update as soon as December, according to a source familiar with the matter who spoke to ET News. According to the publication, Apple and the Indian carrier Airtel will meet this week to discuss why Apple's iPhones are not compatible with India's 5G networks. Apple is reportedly already testing 5G...

Apple is rumored to be developing its own 5G chip for future iPhones, but Qualcomm is predicted to remain the supplier of modems for all iPhone 15 and iPhone 16 models, suggesting that Apple's chip will not debut until at least 2025. In a research note on Friday, Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu said he expects iPhone models released in 2024 to use Qualcomm's...

For the last several years, Apple has been working to develop its own 5G modem chip so that it won't need to rely on Qualcomm as a supplier, but according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's efforts "may have failed." Kuo says that his "latest survey" suggests that development on the chip has stalled, which means Qualcomm would remain the exclusive supplier for 5G chips for the 2023 iPhone...

Qualcomm has unveiled its new 5G Snapdragon X70 modem, which is likely to be the last Qualcomm modem to be used by Apple in its iPhones before it switches to in-house custom-designed chips. Qualcomm says its latest 5G modem for smartphones includes "the world's first 5G AI processor integrated in a 5G Modem-RF System," which is supposed to increase the average download and uplink speeds on...

Apple is in preliminary talks with new suppliers about backend orders for its first in-house 5G modem chips for iPhones, according to a new report from DigiTimes. Apple is reportedly negotiating with ASE Technology, which owns Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) and Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL), to package some of its first self-designed 5G modem chips. The report notes...

The iPhone 14 could offer better battery life and feature Wi-Fi 6E connectivity thanks to a new 5G chip, supply chain sources claim. Taiwan's Economic Daily News reports that TSMC has obtained all of Apple's orders for its 5G radio frequency (RF) chips for the ‌iPhone 14‌ lineup, taking over from Samsung. The chips, likely related to Apple's selection of Qualcomm's Snapdragon X65 modem, are...

Following weeks of delays due to concerns from the aviation industry, Verizon and AT&T were today able to begin deploying C-Band 5G spectrum to improve the availability of 5G connectivity for users across the United States. AT&T's C-Band spectrum is live in limited parts of eight metro areas that include Austin, Chicago, Dallas Ft. Worth, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Orlando, and South...

Telecom giant Ericsson has filed another set of patent infringement lawsuits against Apple in a long-running dispute between the two companies over royalty payments for the use of 5G wireless patents in iPhones. In 2021, both companies sued each other in the US after negotiations failed over the renewal of a seven-year licensing contract for telecom patents covering 2G, 3G, and 4G...

Apple's main chip manufacturing partner TSMC will beginning producing Apple's first in-house 5G modem chips for the iPhone in 2023, according to a report from Nikkei Asia. The move, which has been under development for several years and enhanced by Apple's 2019 acquisition of the majority of Intel's modem business, will allow Apple to shift away from Qualcomm as a supplier for the important chips ...

Apple will debut its rumored custom-designed 5G modem in 2023's iPhone models and the component will not be integrated into the device's A-series chip, DigiTimes reports. In paywalled report published earlier today, sources speaking to ‌DigiTimes‌ said that 2022 will be the last year when Qualcomm supplies all of the modems in ‌iPhone‌ models. Thereafter, iPhones are expected to begin...

Qualcomm is preparing for the launch of Apple's own modem chips, which will cut into Qualcomm's modem business starting in 2023. At today's Investor Day event, Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala said that Qualcomm expects to supply just 20 percent of Apple's modem chips in 2023. If that's an accurate estimate, it means that 2022 will be the last year that Qualcomm enjoys a modem monopoly in iPhone...

Apple this week debuted the sixth-generation iPad mini, cellular models of which can connect to 5G for the first time. However, it's worth noting that cellular connectivity on the new ‌iPad mini‌ does not extend to support for faster mmWave 5G. Apple doesn't maintain a cellular compatibility page for iPad models like it does for its iPhones, so the lack of mmWave 5G support on the ‌iPad mini‌...

Apple shipped an estimated 40.4 million iPhone 12 devices during the first quarter of 2021, according to new data shared by Strategy Analytics. The figure suggests Apple has maintained its grip on the global 5G smartphone market, despite indicating a 23% dip compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, when Apple shipped 52.2 million units. Apple enjoyed booming sales in the 5G market in the...