How Apple Reduces Qualcomm And Broadcom Dependence, Makes Your Own Chip!

Apple plans to use its own modem chip in all levels of the new iPhone.(photo: dock. apple)

JAKARTA - Apple plans to use its own modem chip in all levels of the iPhone just starting 2024. This move, reportedly, reduces its dependence on Qualcomm.

According to Bloomberg, who is aware of the matter, the iPhone maker is reportedly preparing an internalally produced mobile modem chip for the end of 2024 or early 2025.

The chip will later replace the one currently purchased from Qualcomm. Of course this is not good news for Qualcomm, which has provided a Snapdragon X65 5G modem for the iPhone 14.

But the company has been aware of Apple's intentions for several years, after the Cupertino, United States (US) giant bought what was left of Intel's smartphone modem business in 2019.

Over the same period, Apple is also trying to replace wireless chips manufactured by Broadcom, which provides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support.

Apple has designed its own Arm-based processor, which is usually produced by TSMC, and is expanding this to include its wireless chips, with the intention of once again giving companies greater control over most of the technology that goes to the iPhone.

Broadcom is certainly disappointed to hear this news, as the company as the chipmaker's biggest customer and is known to account for about a fifth of its revenue.

Even said MarketWatch, Broadcom shares immediately fell sharply following reports that Apple was working on its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips.

Apple initially wanted to introduce its own modem chip in early 2023, but reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said by the end of 2022 that Apple needed to continue relying on Qualcomm in the near future as Apple's development efforts failed.

At the time, Kuo said Apple would continue working on its 5G chip, but that development would not be carried out on time for the launch of the iPhone 2023.

Reinforced by a Bloomberg report, Apple will use its own mobile chip in just one new device initially, and then gradually migrate from Qualcomm silicon for about three years.

However, now Apple is trying to develop a future chip that will incorporate all cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modem functions into one single component.