Apple Inc.’s long-rumored 5G modem will debut next year in a new iteration of the iPhone SE, Bloomberg reported today.

The chip is referred to as Sinope by the company’s engineers.

A handset’s modem is responsible for turning incoming radio signals into digital data that the main processor can process. It also performs the same operation in reverse, turning digital data into radio signals that can be sent to the nearest cell tower. Apple currently uses modems from Qualcomm Inc. in the iPhone lineup. 

The company’s custom Sinope chip will reportedly be made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. According to Bloomberg, it can download data at a rate of up to 4 gigabits per second. That’s less than half the 10 gigabits per second supported by Qualcomm’s latest 5G modem.

According to Bloomberg, one reason for the performance difference is that Sinope transmits data over a more limited set of frequencies. Qualcomm’s modems establish 5G connections over two parts of the radio spectrum known as mmWave and Sub-6GHz. Sinope reportedly only supports the latter section, which limits the available bandwidth. 

It’s believed the chip also trails Qualcomm’s silicon in the way it implements carrier aggregation. This is a wireless networking method that allows a modem to send data over multiple sets of frequencies rather than just one, which boosts connection speeds. It’s believed Sinope uses half as many frequency blocks as Qualcomm’s silicon. 

In next year’s iPhone SE, Sinope will reportedly be “managed intelligently” by the main processor. The integration is designed to optimize the modem’s wireless coverage and power efficiency. It could make Sinope more competitive with third-party 5G modems, some of which use an integrated artificial intelligence module to optimize performance and electricity usage.   

The iPhone SE is expected to combine the Sinope with an Apple-developed RF front end codenamed Carpo. An RF front end is a component that filters noise from radio signals before they’re sent to a handset’s modem. It also amplifies the signals and changes their frequency in a manner that eases processing.

Apple reportedly plans to follow up Sinope with more capable custom modems. In 2026, the company is expected to debut a second-generation chip with 50% faster download speeds of up to six gigabits per second. The following year, Apple plans to introduce a modem called Prometheus that it hopes will outperform Qualcomm silicon. 

The company’s longer-term development roadmap could reportedly see it integrate a modem directly into the iPhone’s main processor. Additionally, Apple is said to be exploring the possibility of adding its custom modems to the Mac lineup and the Vision Pro. Such an upgrade would enable the devices to connect to 5G carrier networks. 

Image: Apple