Apple will continue to use Qualcomm’s 5G modem on the 2023 iPhones, Qualcomm said during its Q4 2022 earnings call. The Cupertino-giant has been rumored to be working on its own 5G modem for iPhones for quite a while now. However, it appears that we will have to wait quite a while before we see the company’s custom-developed 5G modem in action. 

Qualcomm confirmed during the call that it will “retain its current foothold” of modem supplies to Apple. In November 2021, the company said that it would supply only 20% of the modem to Apple, suggesting that Apple would switch to its own modem chips. It now appears that Apple’s chips will be ready for a 2023 launch.

Qualcomm’s wordings fall in line with what Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed earlier this year. Kuo previously said that Apple’s efforts to develop its own modem had “failed.” The development of the chip has reportedly stalled, but the company still plans on moving to its own chipset at some point. It will, however, take more time to be completed than anticipated.

Apple and Qualcomm have been in a legal battle regarding chips since 2017. It alleged that Qualcomm was unfairly collecting royalties. Frustrated with Qualcomm, Apple explored Intel’s 5G modem (and modems from other companies) for its iPhones, but they failed to meet the standard.

In the end, Apple settled the case with Qualcomm and has been using its modem chips since then. The company has been working on its own modem, but it looks like we’ll have to wait a bit longer to seem them in action.

Via: The Verge