Apple's efforts to develop its own modem faced various challenges starting with unsatisfactory performance and then successfully sued by Qualcomm for patent infringement. In order to settle the lawsuit, Apple agreed to use modems manufactured by Qualcomm until 2027. According to a Bloomberg report, after a decade of efforts, Apple is now ready to use its own modems from 2025.
It will first be used instead of the landmark model. Most likely on the new iPhone SE which has been rumored for a long time but reportedly canceled its launch earlier this year. This is to ensure that any poor cellular performance issues are resolved before reference iPhone models use the same model.
The reason why the modem itself was developed was to reduce costs due to the fees charged by Qualcomm for their modem production and use of related technology. Short-term plans are standalone modems that are more affordable.
The medium-term plan is to combine the modem with a WiFi chip and bluetooth this time to reduce battery consumption. Finally, a long-term plan that combines all the above components into a SOC that will allow more power savings and space usage on the components in the device.