Apple's 5G Modem to Debut in 2025, Aims to Overtake Qualcomm

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s 5G modem will debut with the upcoming iPhone SE 4. The tech giant is aiming to overtake Qualcomm’s technology by 2027, stated the report citing sources.

Modem is a critical component of a mobile phone which lets the device connect to the cell towers to make calls and also link up with the internet.

Apple planned to bring out its in-house modem to market in 2021, where it invested billions of dollars setting up labs as well as acquired Intel’s modem group for about $1 billion and also hired engineers from other companies but it faced setbacks. The prototypes were too large, running hot and also not power-efficient enough, reported Bloomberg.

However, Apple’s modem will not be used in high-end devices. It will be used only in mid-tier iPhones. The tech giant is also planning to use the modem in lower-end iPads in 2025.

The first Apple modem will only support four-carrier aggregation whereas Qualcomm modems support six or more carriers. The Apple modem will be manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, which manufactures processors inside iPhone, iPad and other Apple devices.

Apple looks to bring a second-generation modem dubbed “Ganymede” in 2026 and it is expected to be featured in iPhone 18 lineup and iPads. In 2027, Apple plans to roll out a third modem, code-named Prometheus, which the tech giant hopes to top Qualcomm in performance.