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August 19 news,appleThe company decided not to useQualcommofmodemChip, this decision may not pay off quickly in the initial stage, but it undoubtedly lays the foundation for the grand blueprint for the future.

Apple's hardware technology team is one of its core strengths.iPhoneThe team created breakthrough processors specifically for the iPhone and iPad, and enabled Apple to completely phase out Intel chips and switch to using its own chips in all Mac product lines. In addition, the team also created innovative features such as Touch ID and Face ID.

Apple's chip design team enjoys a high reputation in the industry, and they make Apple products lead the way in speed and battery efficiency. Starting with the A4 chip in the iPad, Apple now uses its own technology in all its major devices. The team also optimizes key components such as displays and batteries from suppliers.

This work has led to advances in photography, efficient wireless syncing between devices, faster data transfers, and some of the sharpest OLED displays in the industry.

In other words, Apple's efforts to develop its own chips are committed to improving the performance of devices and the efficiency of their mutual collaboration. Johny Srouji, the team leader, said that this has always been their goal. Srouji said that in areas where self-developed technology cannot bring significant improvements, Apple is happy to use external components in order to concentrate resources on solving truly critical challenges.

Srouji laid out this strategy in an interview last year, noting that if off-the-shelf technology can achieve a product goal, "we will use it because I want the team to focus on the things that really matter."

However, Srouji's team is currently working on developing in-house cellular modems, a key component for devices like the iPhone and Apple Watch. While the effort won't bring significant returns at first, Apple's long-term goal is to make its modems a more advanced component that will ultimately change the look and functionality of the iPhone.

For years, Apple has used modem chips designed by Qualcomm, an industry leader in this field.cell phoneThe most important component in a phone after the main processor is the SoC, and it is very difficult to manufacture. In 2018, despite facing legal disputes over patents, Apple began designing its own modems.

Unlike areas such as processors, AI engines and sensors, there is limited room for improvement in Qualcomm's modem designs. The existing chips on the market are already very advanced and have been rigorously tested by mobile operators around the world to prove their high reliability.

Therefore, in the short term, any upgrades Apple makes to the modem are unlikely to directly improve the user experience. Srouji also admitted in the interview that developing a modem is "extremely difficult."

Still, Apple is moving forward with the project, which involves billions of dollars in investment, thousands of engineers and millions of hours of work, though initially it will only provide limited improvements to device performance. Even people inside Apple say users don’t really care who makes the modem in their phones. The project allows Apple to claim that the most important component in its iPhone is made in-house, which could be a marketing point. But the user experience won’t change noticeably.

Apple's modem project has experienced multiple setbacks over the past few years. Due to performance and overheating issues, Apple had to postpone the debut of the modem until at least next year. Apple plans to gradually launch this chip, starting with niche models, and full promotion may take several years. To this end, Apple has extended its supply agreement with Qualcomm to March 2027 to smooth this technology transition.

Controlling costs is also a reason for Apple to develop its own modems. Apple has long believed that the modem fees it pays to Qualcomm are too high. But Qualcomm said that even if Apple develops its own modems, it must pay certain patent royalties because it cannot completely avoid infringing its patents.

In the long term, Apple plans to integrate its modem design into a new wireless chip that will handle both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections. This would create a unified connectivity component that could potentially improve reliability and battery life.

There is also the possibility that Apple could one day integrate all of these technologies into the device's main system-on-chip (SoC). This would further reduce costs and save internal space, allowing for more design options. In addition, if Apple ultimately saves money by abandoning Qualcomm, it could reinvest that money into the development of new features and components.

Apple's modem shift may follow a similar path to its neural engine, the part of the processor that handles artificial intelligence tasks, whose benefits weren't obvious when it was introduced in 2017 but has proven prescient as the industry has taken AI seriously.

Looking back at history, Apple's choice of modem suppliers has changed several times. Before it started using Qualcomm modems in 2011, Apple relied mainly on Infineon chips. At that time, people often complained about poor data connections and dropped calls. From 2016 to early 2020, Apple used Intel modems, but these chips also caused complaints.

Modems need to be tested in many different environments around the world, and the migration of hundreds of millions of users is fraught with risk. If Apple makes a mistake in this process, it could lead to the biggest iPhone scandal since Antennagate, when Apple fixed reception issues by offering free phone cases — but this time, the simple solution may not work.

Srouji would never let such a crisis happen. But the new modem will undoubtedly be subject to intense scrutiny. YouTube will be filled with speed test comparison videos, and any minor glitches will likely be magnified by users. Ideally, everything will work smoothly and most customers won't even notice the change. But the true value of this project won't be proven until a few years from now—when Apple hopes it will pave the way for a better iPhone.(Small)