Apple to make an all-in-one cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip

According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is working on a new internal chip to boost cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality in its devices. Apple is also working on its own chip that would replace the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip it presently uses from Broadcom, says Bloomberg, which it wants to start using in devices by 2025.

Bloomberg also shared new information about Apple's efforts to develop its own cellular modems to replace Qualcomm's. While Qualcomm recently said during its fourth-quarter 2022 earnings that it expects to have the "vast majority" of 5G modems for iPhones by 2023, Bloomberg says Apple will use its modems "by the end of 2024 or early 2025." Apple will start by using its custom modem in a product and make a complete transition over about three years.

Qualcomm spokeswoman Clare Conley pointed out what the company said during its fourth-quarter earnings call: "For Apple product revenue, we now expect to have the vast majority of share of 5G modems for the 2023 iPhone launch, up from our previous 20% assumption. Beyond this, there are no changes to our planning assumption, and we are assuming minimal contribution from Apple product revenues in fiscal '25."

If Apple brings these rumoured chips to production, they will add more to the company's growing number of custom chips, including things like its A-series system-on-a-chip line. In addition, the company acquired "a majority" of Intel's smartphone modem business in 2019, and Nikkei reported in 2021 that the tech giant wanted to use its own 5G modem starting in 2023. Still, recent comments from Qualcomm indicate Apple won't switch until 2024. at the earliest.

It needs to be clarified when a combined cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth chip might be included in an iPhone. Since we might still be waiting for the internal cellular modem on its own, we might be a long way from a combined component. Apple and Broadcom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.