What you need to know
- Supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo held a new survey about Qualcomm.
- According to the survey, Apple "may have failed" to create its own 5G modem for the iPhone 15.
- Qualcomm will reportedly remain the sole supplier for 5G modem chips for the new phone through 2023.
Apple started to design its own 5G modem to replace Qualcomm back in 2020, but that doesn't seem to be coming to fruition any time soon.
According to supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple's development of its own 5G modem "may have failed." If true, Qualcomm will remain the sole supplier of 5G modems for the iPhone through the iPhone 15 models in 2023.
(1/4)
[Company Update] Qualcomm (QCOM.O)
My latest survey indicates that Apple's own iPhone 5G modem chip development may have failed, so Qualcomm will remain exclusive supplier for 5G chips of 2H23 new iPhones, with a 100% supply share (vs. company's previous estimate of 20%).(1/4)
[Company Update] Qualcomm (QCOM.O)
My latest survey indicates that Apple's own iPhone 5G modem chip development may have failed, so Qualcomm will remain exclusive supplier for 5G chips of 2H23 new iPhones, with a 100% supply share (vs. company's previous estimate of 20%).— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 28, 2022June 28, 2022
Kuo goes on to say that, despite the setback, Apple will likely continue to work on its own modems to eventually replace Qualcomm.
(3/4)
2. I believe Apple will continue to develop its own 5G chips, but by the time Apple succeeds and can replace Qualcomm, Qualcomm's other new businesses should have grown enough to significantly offset the negative impacts caused by the order loss of iPhone 5G chips.(3/4)
2. I believe Apple will continue to develop its own 5G chips, but by the time Apple succeeds and can replace Qualcomm, Qualcomm's other new businesses should have grown enough to significantly offset the negative impacts caused by the order loss of iPhone 5G chips.— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) June 28, 2022June 28, 2022
Today's report lines up with a previous report towards the end of 2020 which said that Apple planned to use Qualcomm modems in the iPhone through 2024. That would certainly give the company enough time to continue the work on its own modems to replace Qualcomm.
If you're not trying to wait until 2025 for an iPhone with an Apple-branded modem, check out our list of the Best iPhone deals for Prime Day 2022.
Bottom line: For those who need more power, performance, storage, and an advanced camera system, it's hard to beat the iPhone 13 Pro. Even six months later, it's still the best iPhone for power users.
