It could be six years before Apple’s 5G modem is released

If you are waiting for an iPhone with 5G, you might have to wait quite some time. Apple may not have their own 5G iPhone modem ready until 2025, according to The Information. This means the company will lag behind most other Android phones as far as integrated support for 5G is concerned.

Apple has hired a number of engineers to work on its own 5G chips, which are some of the most complicated and most expensive parts of a phone.

Quoting an anonymous source, The Information stated: “In interviews with prospective hires for the team, Apple has told engineers that they expect to have their own modem ready by 2025.”

This means that while virtually every large Android phone maker plans to introduce 5G support before the end of 2019, Apple will not. Apple and Qualcomm, one of the top 5G modem providers, had initially stopped working together following a squabble over the latter’s licensing fees.

Intel, who are the firm’s only other 5G modem partner, battled to make working chips and eventually abandoned the industry after Qualcomm reached an agreement with Apple and signed a 5G contract last month.

When Intel decided to abandon plans to build 5G modems, CEO Bob Swan told the Wall Street Journal that this was because of Apple and Qualcomm’s deal. He said: “We assessed the prospects for us to make money while delivering this technology for smartphones and concluded at the time that we just didn’t see a path.”

In terms of the deal between Apple and Qualcomm, the former will be able to release an iPhone with 5G support, but only next year. Some publications have speculated that Apple wanted to acquire Intel’s 5G modem division, but others claim they were unable to come to an agreement.

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