Apple Wanted its Own Modem Chips for iPhone 15. It Didn’t Work

A new report in the Wall Street Journal reveals the extreme lengths Apple went to in its quest to produce a new modem chip in time for the release of the iPhone 15 on Sept. 12. But despite years of work and billions of dollars spent, the tech giant did not manage to design the new modem chip it hoped for, the Journal reports.

For years, Apple has relied on semiconductor giant Qualcomm to build the modem chips for Apple products, shelling out at least $7 billion a year, according to the report. But the Journal reports that Apple's attempt to build its own modem chips resulted in a too slow and too prone to overheating product. It was also too big — about half the size of an iPhone.

Apple has had incredible success in designing and making the processing chips that power apps and programs on the iPhone — but it doesn't seem able to replicate the success in terms of the modem.

"Just because Apple builds the best silicon on the planet, it’s ridiculous to think that they could also build a modem," former Apple wireless director Jaydeep Ranade reportedly told the Journal. 

Last week, Apple announced a new Qualcomm deal that enables them to purchase Qualcomm's 5G chips through 2026. But industry insiders told the Journal they don’t expect Apple to give up on development. 

"Apple isn’t going to give up," Edward Snyder, a managing director of Charter Equity Research, told the Journal. "They hate Qualcomm’s living guts."