Apple Aims to Surpass Qualcomm with In-House Modem by 2027, Debuting in iPhone SE Next Year [Report]

Apple is aiming to surpass Qualcomm's 5G modem performance by 2027, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

The company is preparing to unveil its first in-house modem with the launch of a new iPhone SE next year. The entry-level smartphone hasn't been updated since 2022; however, it will see a significant revamp in early 2025 and serve as a testing ground for Apple's new 5G modem.

When the iPhone SE debuts in a few months, it will have major new features, including Apple Intelligence and the edge-to-edge screen design already used in more upscale models. But its most impressive breakthrough won't be visible to consumers: the in-house modem, code-named Sinope.


Following the iPhone SE release, Apple will allegedly use an in-house modem for its widely rumored iPhone 17 Air, a device said to feature a thinner design and replace the iPhone 16 Plus.

For now, the modem won't be used in Apple's higher-end products. It's set to come to a new mid-tier iPhone later next year, code-named D23, that features a far-thinner design than current models. The chip will also start rolling out as early as 2025 in Apple's lower-end iPads.

Early versions of the 'Sinope' modem won't support mmWave and will only support four-carrier aggregation. That underperforms Qualcomm's modem, which supports six or more carriers at the same time as well as mmWave. In lab tests, Apple's modem purportedly capped out at around 4 Gbps; however, real-world speeds are far less, making the difference between Apple and Qualcomm modems less noticeable.

Despite these performance drawbacks, Apple's modem will allegedly have some advantages, including lower power consumption, more efficient scanning for cellular service, and better support for connecting to satellite networks. Sources also say the Apple modem will offer better performance relative to SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) limits because it will be intelligently managed via the main processor. Additionally, Apple's modem is expected to support DSDS (Dual SIM Dual Standby), allowing data connections on both SIM cards when a user has two phone numbers on their device. Finally, Apple has developed a new radio frequency front-end system (RFFE), called Carpo, to help its modem connect to cellular networks, which will also take more business from Qualcomm.


A second-generation modem is expected to debut in 2026. That version will get closer to Qualcomm's modem capabilities and will reportedly be used in higher-end products. The chip, dubbed 'Ganymede,' could be used in the iPhone 18 as well as 2027 iPads. It will add support for mmWave, download speeds of up to 6 Gbps, six-carrier aggregation for Sub-6 networks, and eight-carrier aggregation for mmWave.

In 2027, Apple plans to launch its third-generation modem, code-named 'Prometheus.' The company aims to surpass Qualcomm's modem performance and artificial intelligence features with this model. It will also support next-generation satellite networks.

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