Apple Plans Three-Year Modem Rollout in Bid to Top Qualcomm

  • Company plans first modem in 2025 and high-end version in 2026
  • Initial chip, in iPhone SE, won’t match Qualcomm capabilities
Apple has spent years trying to replace the Qualcomm modem chip in its iPhones. Photographer: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg
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Apple Inc. is preparing to finally bring one of its most ambitious projects to market: a series of cellular modem chips that will replace components from longtime partner — and adversary — Qualcomm Inc.

More than half a decade in the making, Apple’s in-house modem system will debut next spring, according to people familiar with the matter. The technology is slated to be part of the iPhone SE, the company’s entry-level smartphone, which will be updated next year for the first time since 2022.