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The large image: Apple debuted the iPhone 16e earlier this week, that includes the corporate’s first in-house 5G modem. Cupertino will not probably use it within the upcoming iPhone 17 lineup, however the firm reportedly has a brand new in-house Wi-Fi chip deliberate for its next-gen flagship.
Famous Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says Apple has developed an in-house Wi-Fi chipset to debut within the iPhone 17. He additionally confirmed that the not too long ago unveiled C1 5G modem, featured within the iPhone 16e, will not seem within the iPhone 17 flagships. Nonetheless, it can deal with mobile connectivity within the iPhone 17 Air, whereas the remainder of the lineup sticks with Qualcomm modules.
This leak just isn’t the primary we have heard concerning the iPhone 17 transport with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi chip. Final October, Kuo predicted that at the least one of many 4 iPhone 17 fashions would come with the brand new chip and that it might help the Wi-Fi 7 normal.
Following Qualcomm, Broadcom’s Wi-Fi chips may even get replaced by Apple’s in-house chips at a quicker tempo. My newest trade survey signifies that every one new 2H25 iPhone 17 fashions will characteristic Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi chips (vs. solely the slim iPhone 17 will undertake Apple’s C1 modem…
– 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) February 20, 2025
Final yr, Jeff Pu, an analyst accustomed to Apple’s provide chain, predicted that Apple would debut an in-house Wi-Fi module in 2025. Nonetheless, he said that solely the iPhone 17 Professional fashions would characteristic the brand new silicon, with the non-Professional variants preserving the Broadcom chips present in different Apple merchandise.
Apple at the moment makes use of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips from Broadcom in all its iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Nonetheless, the corporate has been creating new Wi-Fi modules to additional its plan to turn out to be fully silicon-independent. Apple’s general aim is to economize whereas facilitating higher {hardware} and software program integration.
Cupertino engineers have pushed for tighter integration between gadgets for years, and its person base enjoys how seamlessly every part works collectively. Whereas there are nonetheless some hiccups in its ecosystem – particularly the place connectivity is anxious – designing elements particularly for its gadgets helps easy out these obstacles.
Apple stopped utilizing third-party chipmaker Qualcomm’s cellular SoCs in iPhones and iPads over a decade in the past. The corporate has additionally transitioned its total Mac lineup from Intel’s x86 processors to in-house Arm-based silicon. Now, Apple is creating wi-fi connectivity chips to make sure each part it makes use of is Apple-designed. Its plans are nearly full.
