There are reports that Apple is independently developing its own 5G modem. This chip will be seen in iPhones and iPads in 2022 at the earliest. Apple’s goal is to complete the research and development of its own 5G Modem chip by 2022. Apple’s 5G chip is quite complex and the development/testing process is enormous.
Some analysts said that after the internal development work, Apple still needs to obtain the necessary certification from the governments around the world. This is a time-consuming process thus it is not certain that Apple will complete the project by 2022. According to the report, Apple needs to optimize its 5G Modem to ensure it meets global standards. In addition, it also needs to pass tests by the government such as FCC.
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Analysts believe that 2023 will be a more realistic date for Apple’s internal 5G chip. Apple’s 5G Modem R&D is led by RF (Radio Frequency) expert Esin Terzioglu. He was the VP of engineering at Qualcomm and joined Apple in 2017. His current position at Apple is “Wireless SoC Supervisor”.
After Apple fully develops the chip, it will turn to SoC integration. This means that Apple will probably produce 5G modem chips in 2022 and integrate them into A-series processors in 2023. Apple’s current generation of iPhones does not support 5G networks. According to media reports, Apple’s three iPhones will support 5G networks next year using Qualcomm’s 5G chips.