Qualcomm has announced that Apple’s 5G modem will not arrive before 2026

We’ll have to wait a little longer before we see Apple’s first 5G modem arrive. Cupertino has worked for years to create this crucial element that would allow it to have more autonomy. If the stars seem to align for a 2024 release, Qualcomm is coming Confirm That the project has been postponed. The company announced today that it will continue to supply its 5G modems to Cupertino until 2026.

This announcement on the eve of the keynote comes as a surprise, because Qualcomm made clear at the beginning of the year that it expected to see Apple’s modem pointing the tip of its nose in 2024. The agreement between the two companies was due to expire this year, and the latest iPhone — expected on Tuesday — was to be one of the last to use a Qualcomm modem chip. “, specific Bloomberg. This component is now expected to launch in 2026, with Qualcomm planning to supply only 20% of iPhone modems that year. The statement is roughly in line with recent estimates by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who forecast 2025.

Qualcomm expects an Apple modem in 2024

The task is clearly complex for Apple, which has been working on this topic since 2018. It must do no less than Qualcomm with offering a component that adapts to different networks around the world. The company also needs to solve the issue of the component’s impact on the autonomy of its phones, but also get them adopted in different markets.

Obviously, all this can be postponed again. As a reminder, we have been anticipating the discovery of this new ingredient since 2022, and the rumors return every year. Rumor has it that the Cupertino company is also working on its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chipsets.