According to a paid report from DigiTimes, 2022 will be the last year that Apple will rely solely on Qualcomm to supply modems for its mobile devices.

After that, TSMC, which makes the A and M processors used in the iPhone and Mac, respectively, is expected to produce Apple's custom 5G baseband modem chips.

Interestingly, reports indicate that this will be a separate component from the "A" chip that will be manufactured for the 2023 flagship phones (likely the A17 and iPhone 15). If this is correct, it will likely be integrated into the SoC along with the application processor, in a different approach than that expected for Android devices with custom modems.

This is only one report, but it is remarkably consistent with what Qualcomm itself said at the recent Investor Day: that it seems to be doing quite well with Samsung in 2022, but expects to supply only 20% of Apple's modem chips in 2023 He admitted. [Qualcomm CFO Akash Palkhiwala was quoted as saying. [Qualcomm's Chief Financial Officer Akash Palkhiwala was quoted as saying, "We've just set the base for this forecast. We just wanted to set the base for this forecast, and therefore used this data as a prerequisite for our planning.

But if Apple is going to manufacture its own modems for 2023, why would it ask Qualcomm for anything? There are several possibilities: the first is that it clearly isn't, and that the "assumption" is off the mark.

However, there are also scenarios in which Apple manufactures its own modems but still wants to work with Qualcomm. For example, there may be regions where Apple's 5G modem is not supported, or it may simply be that Qualcomm's chips are not suitable for the flagship iPhone 15, but are ideal for the upcoming iPhone SE or 2023 cellular iPad.

What does this mean for the average iPhone user? It is not clear, but we would not expect a massive 5G upgrade from the iPhone 14 as a result of this report. However, as we have seen with Apple's M1 chip, with tighter control over the chip's hardware, Apple's A-series chips are already capable of great performance compared to Android chips.

In the real world, Apple's 5G modem could mean better cellular connectivity, better hip packaging, and ultimately more efficient battery life. Time will tell in this case.

As for the iPhone 14 overall, we expect a new design, preferably without the notch, an improved camera, and the return of Touch ID. For the latest leaks and rumors, visit our iPhone 14 hub. Also, see iPhone 14 vs. iPhone 13 for a comparison of the rumored upgrades.