Apple is reportedly increasing its efforts to bring 6G cellular connectivity to its product line, according to industry analyst Mark Gurman. This comes amidst ongoing technical difficulties in the development of Apple’s in-house 5G modems, which the company is still working on but at a reduced pace.
In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman refutes previous reports suggesting that Apple plans to discontinue the development of its custom 5G modems. It was previously believed that Apple aimed to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm for modem-based business. While the duration of Apple’s partnership with Qualcomm remains uncertain, rumors suggest that the iPhone SE 4 could be the first device to feature Apple’s custom 5G modem.
Apple’s interest in 6G technology has been evident since 2021 when job listings on the company’s website referenced 6G technology. The latest job listing for the Modem Systems Software Architect position indicates that Apple is gradually expanding its efforts in developing 6G technology. The role involves coordinating the design and modeling of a 6G reference architecture.
Furthermore, Apple has joined a group of telecommunication companies led by the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) to advance the development of 6G technology. ATIS aims to establish North American mobile technology leadership in 6G and beyond over the next decade, building on the foundation of 5G.
While analysts estimate that 6G could offer speeds 100 times faster than 5G, it is still too early to predict its arrival. The technology is not expected to be widely available until at least 2030. Additionally, the global adoption of 5G is still ongoing, which could further delay the adoption of 6G.
Despite these challenges, Apple remains committed to 6G development and plans to hire more engineers and developers for this purpose.