Apple to use in-house Wi-Fi, Bluetooth chips for iPhone 17
What's the story
Apple is said to be on the brink of finalizing its shift to producing its own wireless chips.
The tech giant, according to industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, plans to debut these in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips with the launch of iPhone 17 in late 2025.
The move represents a major shift in Apple's hardware strategy and could have far-reaching implications for its future products.
Modem debut
iPhone SE 4 to debut Apple's homemade 5G modem
Along with the in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips, Kuo has also confirmed a previous 9to5Mac report regarding the next-generation iPhone SE 4.
The new model, which will be released in early 2025, will be the first device to sport Apple's own homemade 5G modem. However, it will continue to use a third-party Wi-Fi chip made by Broadcom.
Self-reliance
Journey to self-reliance in wireless technology
Apple has been working toward becoming self-reliant in wireless tech since 2019 when it acquired Intel's modem division.
The move was part of Apple's broader strategy to control its own destiny and reduce dependence on Qualcomm's RF modems.
However, the transition has not been without challenges as initial plans to debut the new modem with iPhone 15 were delayed due to readiness issues.
SE upgrades
Upcoming upgrades for the iPhone SE 4
The iPhone SE lineup is due for some major upgrades in its next avatar.
Rumors indicate the new model will come with an OLED screen, Face ID, and support for Apple Intelligence-branded features, which would likely be made possible with the use of A18 chip and 8GB of RAM.
These upgrades show that Apple is not just focusing on internal hardware changes, but also on improving user experience with advanced features and technologies.
Twitter Post
All Apple products to soon start using in-house Wi-Fi chips
Broadcom currently supplies over 300 million Wi-Fi+BT chips (hereafter referred to as Wi-Fi chips) per year to Apple. However, Apple will rapidly reduce its reliance on Broadcom. With new products in 2H25 (e.g., iPhone 17), Apple plans to use its own Wi-Fi chips, which will be…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) October 31, 2024