December 8, 2024 – In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman revealed that Apple’s first self-developed modem chip, codenamed “Sinope”, is set to make its debut in the upcoming iPhone SE 4 in 2025. The chip, which has been in development for over five years, is also expected to be integrated into some iPad models subsequently.
However, reports indicate that Sinope still has significant ground to cover compared to the Qualcomm modems currently used by Apple. For instance, Sinope only supports Sub-6 GHz 5G bands and lacks support for millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G. Additionally, it offers four-carrier aggregation, whereas the latest Qualcomm models support six. The maximum speed of Sinope is approximately 4Gbps, which is considerably lower than its Qualcomm counterparts.
Despite these performance gaps, Gurman highlights the key advantage of Apple’s proprietary solution: reducing dependence on Qualcomm and saving on licensing fees. Furthermore, Sinope’s tight integration with device hardware promises lower power consumption, more efficient network signal scanning, and enhanced satellite connectivity.
In terms of technical specifics, Sinope will be manufactured by TSMC and will feature Apple’s Carpo RF front-end system, optimizing the device’s mobile network connectivity. The modem chip also supports Dual SIM Dual Standby functionality, with its SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) limits managed by the device’s SoC.
Gurman also provided insights into Apple’s roadmap for its proprietary modem, revealing planned upgrades for the next few years:
The second-generation modem (2026) is expected to closely match the capabilities of Qualcomm’s modems, adding support for mmWave 5G and offering six-carrier aggregation (Sub-6) and eight-carrier aggregation (mmWave). This updated version is anticipated to be featured in the iPhone 18 series and could make its way into iPad Pro devices in 2027.
Looking ahead to the third generation (2027), Apple aims to surpass Qualcomm’s solutions in performance. This future modem is rumored to support “next-generation satellite networks” and incorporate AI-related functionalities, although specific details remain undisclosed.
