Apple supply chain analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu agree that the next iPhone, due next year, will feature WiFi and Bluetooth chips developed in-house by Apple. How will this affect the performance of the new iPhone?
TL;DR
- Apple develops its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips for the iPhone in-house.
- The firm will gradually reduce its dependence on Broadcom.
- The first implementations could see the light of day by 2025.
Apple enters the technological race of connected chips
Reducing dependence on external suppliers is a strategy that is close to the heart of Appleparticularly for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connected chips. Apple supply chain analysts Ming-Chi Kuo and Jeff Pu said the company would use its own expertise to design and produce its iPhone chips.
A technological shift for Apple
Currently, Broadcom supplies the Cupertino company with more than 300 million Wi-Fi + Bluetooth chips per year. However, Apple wants to gradually free itself from this dependence. Thus, from 2025, the Apple brand plans to use its own chips, manufactured via TSMC’s N7 process and supporting the Wi-Fi 7 standard.
A gradual transition to independence
The transition to these new Apple chips will not happen overnight. The integration of 5G and Wi-Fi into Apple’s ecosystem will take place gradually, due to different production schedules. For example, the iPhone SE4 could switch to an Apple 5G modem, but would still use a Broadcom Wi-Fi chip.
A major technological challenge
This shift towards autonomy is a major challenge for Apple and a clear sign a break in its production strategy. The firm had already taken a step in this direction in 2019, by purchasing Intel’s smartphone modem business. A serious technological update is therefore expected with the new iPhone SE4 and iPhone 17 Pro by the second half of 2025, thus signaling Apple’s notable entry into the field of connected chip manufacturers.
