iPhone 15 series to miss out on Apple’s in-house 5G modem: Report

“Qualcomm had planned to only provide about 20% of the 5G modem parts for the new iPhones in 2023, but now expects to retain its current foothold, according to comments that accompanied its earnings report Wednesday. The statement confirmed that Apple won’t be moving to its own in-house modem design for next year’s models,” the Bloomberg report says.

The report reveals that Apple has been working on its own 5G modem since 2020. But it has suffered significant setbacks that have led to the delay. The prototypes reportedly faced the issue of “overheating over the past year.”

Reliable industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also said that Apple “may have failed” to develop the modem forcing it to rely on Qualcomm for the foreseeable future. Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu last month said that Apple’s modem may miss iPhone launches in both 2023 and 2024.

Meanwhile, reports suggest that Apple may drop the physical power and volume buttons with iPhone 15 Pro models. Instead, it may bring a solid-state power and volume buttons to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. The Cupertino-based company is also expected to adopt a new naming scheme for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It may be called iPhone 15 Ultra and is said to come with a premium titanium body. Titanium would not only give the upcoming Apple iPhone 15 Ultra a premium feel but will also make the smartphone lighter, stronger and more scratch resistant than steel.

Also, Apple has announced to adopt USB Type-C charging port for iPhones after an EU ruling. It is likely that USB-C may be introduced on iPhones with the iPhone 15 series. Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are also expected to offer higher RAM than the predecessors.