Apple has an interesting plan under its sleeve – integrate the modem with the main chipset.
Future Apple Devices May Offer Cellular Capabilities as Standard, if Apple Plans to Integrate its Modem with the SoC
Currently, the modem is a separate component from the main chipset. For example, the A18 sits in a completely different area compared to the C1 modem on the logic board in iPhone 16e.
However, Apple is planning to integrate the two together on the same chip in the future, according to Bloomberg.
When you combine these two things together, you get better power efficiency, improved performance, a smaller form factor, and more. In other words, it’s just better compared to how it is right now.
However, an interesting part of all this is low manufacturing costs, since Apple is doing its own chip and modem.
But, let me give you another aspect to this: every single Apple device can ship with a cellular modem as standard in the near future, and it’s entirely up to you whether you want to use it or not.
Currently, if you want access to cellular capabilities on a device like iPad, you have to pay more than $100 extra for it.
If you made a mistake of buying a Wi-Fi-only iPad and realize that you should have gotten the cellular model, you have to change your iPad – there’s no other way. With the modem just built into it as standard, you end up getting the best-possible variant every single time.
While this is all speculation, it makes perfect sense for Apple to do this. Rather than fight your way through the day to find Wi-Fi, you can forever stay online for the most seamless experience there is, thanks to cellular.
It will be interesting to see how Apple navigates the modem waters in the near future. I have this feeling Apple has bigger plans with its modem, rather than just cutting down costs and delivering efficiency.
