Apple’s self-developed honeycomb-style data modem chip, which has undergone more than five years of research and development, is rumored to debut in the new iPhone SE set to be released next spring. The chip, codenamed Sinope, is manufactured by TSMC, and Apple hopes to completely replace its long-term partner Qualcomm’s data modem chip technology by 2027.
Familiar with Apple news, Bloomberg information columnist Mark Gurman reported on the 7th that insiders revealed Apple’s self-developed honeycomb-style data modem chip, codenamed Sinope, which has been developed for more than five years and is expected to debut in the new iPhone SE in the spring of 2025 and will be manufactured by TSMC.
Self-developed honeycomb-style data modem chip to debut next year
The modem is an important component of any mobile phone, allowing devices to connect to mobile communication base stations for calls and internet access. Apple’s goal is to launch the first honeycomb-style data modem chip in 2025 and introduce a higher-end version in 2026. The 2027 version is expected to achieve superior performance and strive to completely replace the chips supplied by its long-term partner Qualcomm.
The report mentioned that Apple’s self-developed honeycomb-style data modem chip has been brewing for a long time. Initially, it was hoped to be launched before 2021. To accelerate development, Apple invested billions of dollars in establishing testing and engineering labs globally, spent about $10 billion to acquire Intel’s data modem division, and hired engineers from other silicon wafer companies at a cost of millions of dollars.
Over the years, Apple has encountered setbacks one after another. The early prototypes were too bulky, overheated during operation, and had insufficient performance. There were also concerns internally that Apple was developing the honeycomb-style data modem just to retaliate against Qualcomm because Apple did not win in previous legal battles over licensing fees.
However, after adjusting development, reorganizing management, and recruiting a large number of new engineers from Qualcomm, Apple is now confident in its honeycomb-style data modem chip project, which is a major victory for Apple’s hardware technology team led by Senior Vice President Johny Srouji.
Hoping to replace Qualcomm chips
Qualcomm has a monopoly position in the smartphone honeycomb-style data modem chip market, especially in the 4G LTE and 5G fields. However, starting next year, the situation may change. For a long time, Qualcomm has been preparing for the possibility of Apple abandoning its data modem chip. However, Qualcomm still generates over 20% of its revenue from Apple. Qualcomm has previously reached an agreement with Apple to continue supplying chips to Apple at least until 2026.
Mark Gurman pointed out that Apple’s self-developed honeycomb-style data modem chip will lay the foundation for a series of new devices, starting with thinner iPhones, as the new honeycomb-style data modem chip can be more tightly integrated with other in-house components, reducing space requirements and power consumption. This technology may also expand to Macs and wearable devices with mobile network connectivity in the future.
Mark Gurman mentioned that by using its own honeycomb-style data modem chip, Apple can create smartphones thinner by about 2 mm than the iPhone 16 Pro, while accommodating batteries, displays, and camera systems. Over time, this transformation may also give rise to other new designs, such as the foldable devices that Apple continues to explore.
