Skip to main content

Apple sets very aggressive timeline: Build a 5G modem for iPhones by 2022

Apple is reportedly pushing hard to roll out its own 5G modem for iPhones by 2022, even while a multi-year supply agreement for the component is in place with Qualcomm.

The company has set a “very aggressive timeline” for the plan, a source familiar with the matter told Fast Company, considering all the development, testing, and certification that needs to be done for the 5G modem.

Recommended Videos

Apple is “really pushing it” with its two-year deadline, the source said, especially since this is the first time that the company will produce a modem. It will have to finish design work and the actual fabrication of the components, after which comes a long testing and certification process. The 5G model will also have to go through network optimization tests to make sure it works properly with carriers, compliance tests for global standards, and more tests to acquire approval from the Federal Communications Commission.

Some of the people involved in the project may not fully understand how long the process takes, so the source told Fast Company that 2023 may be a more realistic launch date for Apple’s own 5G modem.

Apple’s plan to build its own 5G modem hinges on its $1 billion acquisition of Intel’s modem business, which was announced in July. The transaction, which includes thousands of wireless tech patents and 2,200 employees, will help Apple create a “system on a chip” (SoC) design in which the 5G modem will be integrated with other chips. This SoC integration may not happen right away though due to lack of time, according to the source, with Apple possibly going for a standalone chip for its 5G modem in 2022, and then target SoC integration in 2023.

For now, Qualcomm is set to supply the modem for the first 5G iPhone, which will roll out next year. This is a multi-year partnership, said Qualcomm President Cristiano Amon, who also claimed that it will take a while for Apple to make its own 5G modems.

Apple may have settled its legal battles with Qualcomm, but the company prefers to make its own chips. Whether Apple is able to meet its 2022 target for 5G modems for the iPhone and what will happen with its partnership with Qualcomm if it does, remain to be seen.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
Will my iPhone get iOS 26? Here’s every supported model
We've got the full list of iOS 26 supported devices - find out if you're getting the new iPhone update
iOS 26 features on a series of iPhone screens

Apple announced iOS 26 at WWDC 2025, and the new iPhone update comes with a fresh new 'Liquid Glass' look and plenty of features - and there are loads of iOS 26 supported devices, which is great news.

And no, you haven't missed a volley of updates since iOS 18 in 2024. Apple has skipped a bunch of numbers, so instead of giving us iOS 19 in 2025, we got iOS 26 alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26 and tvOS 26. In short, Apple's brought its operating system numbering into line. Nice.

Read more
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more
iPhone 17 price looks more certain to rise for first time since the iPhone 12
Apple might be preparing its first iPhone price increase in five years
iPhone 16 Pro Max next to the 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

For years now, Apple has launched the base model iPhone at $799 - but in 2025, more and more signs are pointing towards prices being increased for the introduction of the iPhone 17.

The likelihood of an iPhone 17 price increase was raised by the Wall Street Journal in May, and now Counterpoint Research notes in its recent 2025 shipment forecast that "cost increases are expected to be passed on to consumers" by not only Apple, but Samsung as well.

Read more