Apple is expected to break free from Qualcomm’s exclusivity when it launches its first 5G modem in its flagship iPhone lineup next year. With the iPhone 15 allegedly being the last series to only use Qualcomm’s baseband chips, a new report claims that Apple will use TSMC’s 3nm technology for its custom solution, with risk production set to begin in late 2023.
Apple appears to have secured all of TSMC’s initial 3nm supply.
We can assume that the company’s first 5G modem will also be mass produced using the same manufacturing process. According to Commercial Times, risk production is expected to begin in the second half of 2023, with wafer output gradually increasing in the first half of next year.
According to this timeline, the iPhone 15 lineup will continue to use Qualcomm’s 5G modems exclusively, most likely taking advantage of the latest Snapdragon X70, and the iPhone 16 family will switch to Apple’s 5G modem later on. Work on this custom chip began in 2020, and it is safe to assume that the technology behemoth encountered its fair share of stumbling blocks.
Apple’s custom 5G modem is expected to be mass produced in smaller quantities, implying that Qualcomm could still capture the majority of shipments for a few more years before its chips become obsolete. As it investigates the possibility of combining cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity in a single package, Apple’s ultimate goal is to be free of several third-party chip providers, including Broadcom.
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