Apple Set Ambitious Goal For In-House Custom 5G Modem In 2022 iPhones

Various analysts and sources have suggested Apple plan to release iPhones that deploys Qualcomm 5G modems next year and realize support for 5G networks. However, the company has a ultimate goal that develops its own 5G modems, which is why Apple purchased Intel's smartphone modem business. The latest report from Fast Company said that Apple's plan is to launch an iPhone with a self-developed 5G modem within three years.

Of course, the year of 2020 is a relatively tight timeframe for the iPhone maker, as the modem chipset is a complex and highly regulated hardware, and it requires a plenty of time for development and testing work. Therefore, it is undoubtedly a bold plan to complete the development work in 2022.

Even after the internal development work is completed, Apple still needs to obtain the necessary certification from the governments around the world. This is a rather time-consuming process, so whether Apple can complete it in 2022 is still a problem. They will have to optimize its 5G Modem to ensure it meets global standards and successfully passed tests by government agencies such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Although Apple has an experienced R&D department and has rapidly gained some resources from Qualcomm and Intel, it will face a real battle to meet its ambitious goals. 2023 could therefore be a more realistic target.

The report also claimed that Apple's 5 G Modem research and development work was led by RF (radio frequency) expert Esin Terzioglu, who previously worked at the engineering organization of Qualcomm’s core communications chip business, joined Apple in 2017. Its current position is "Wireless SoC Lead."

According to people familiar with the matter, after the 5G modem is delivered, Apple will turn to SoC integration, which means that Apple will produce 5G chipsets in 2022 and integrate them into A-series processors in 2023.

Image Via The Verge