Apple looking to drop Broadcom as wi-fi, bluetooth, cellular supplier

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in General Discussion
Apple has been planning for some time to ease its dependence on Broadcom, and it appears that it may happen by late 2024.

Broadcom
Broadcom


Similar to how Apple replaced chips from Intel with custom silicon, the company hopes to do the same for its cellular modems. The ability to fine-tune the modem for Apple's intended purposes is a significant benefit.

Apple reportedly plans to release its first modem by the end of 2024 or early 2025. In doing so, it will drop a Broadcom component in 2025, in a report from Bloomberg on Monday.

Broadcom produces a component that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality on Apple devices. Apple has been developing a replacement for it for years, and is reportedly working on a follow-up version that will combine Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular capabilities into a single component.

Other components including radio-frequency chips and ones for wireless charging will still be provided by Broadcom, though Apple is also working to replace those. However, during a conference call in December, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan said that while Apple would be reducing its dependence on Broadcom, the company will continue to work with Apple.

"We believe we have the best technology and delivering value to our customers," he said. "There's no reason to find something else where you're not the best."

Apple is Broadcom's largest customer and accounted for about 20% of the chipmaker's revenue in the last fiscal year, reaching nearly $7 billion.

Qualcomm will also continue to provide 5G chips for the iPhone lineup in 2023, according to a report from November. Apple has been working on creating its modem for use in its hardware for several years, but 2023 won't be the year Apple makes the switch.

Read on AppleInsider

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,251member

    Broadcom is an industry leader. If Apple can replace them, that would be huge.

    And what is happening to the editorial review?
    • Wi-Fi
    • Bluetooth
    Capitalized. Geesh. 
    mike1watto_cobra
  • Reply 2 of 14
    thadecthadec Posts: 97member
    coolfactor said:

    Broadcom is an industry leader. If Apple can replace them, that would be huge.
    I am more concerned with how it is possible to replace Broadcom's tech without using Broadcom's patents. It isn't as bad as the situation with Qualcomm and mobile tech, but still. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 3 of 14
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,333member
    So if apple can do that, then how about bringing back the airport base station and maybe also time capsule? 
    mac_dogn2itivguyravnorodomMacProjas99watto_cobrajony0
  • Reply 4 of 14
    Nikon8Nikon8 Posts: 47member
    Excellent news. Time to get rid of them
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 14
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,755member
    Hmmm… maybe that long rumored iPhone wireless chipset is almost ready…
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 6 of 14
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,928member
    In short, no one seems to know exactly what Apple is doing, but the one thing they can agree upon is that Apple will be replacing Qualcomm and or Broadcom. with a chip designed and engineered in house at Apple.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 7 of 14
    mvmaastrichtmvmaastricht Posts: 56member
    thadec said:
    coolfactor said:

    Broadcom is an industry leader. If Apple can replace them, that would be huge.
    I am more concerned with how it is possible to replace Broadcom's tech without using Broadcom's patents. It isn't as bad as the situation with Qualcomm and mobile tech, but still. 
    No need to be concerned: replacing Broadcom’s tech doesn’t mean Apple not using Broadcom’s patents. The goal of Apple is not creating independency from Broadcom as a company, but from Broadcom’s chip design. The goal would to be able to create chips that are better suited voor devices that Apple has in mind for the future. Sort of like how Apple is making chips with ARM’s patents, but with their own typical Apple design. It means Apple can leave out unused parts of Broadcom’s chip design to be able to, for example, better miniaturise their chips.
    freeassociate2watto_cobra
  • Reply 8 of 14
    avon b7avon b7 Posts: 7,739member
    A long overdue but wise move.

    It is extremely unlikely that they will be able to best Huawei, Broadcom or Qualcomm but having control of the on device RF situation affords Apple more flexibility in an ever increasing wireless world. 


  • Reply 9 of 14
    xyzzy-xxxxyzzy-xxx Posts: 185member
    I am not sure if Apple should extend it's chip design business. It looks that M1 / M2 will be outperformed in March by new AMD designs, now that AMD also uses 4nm technology for building chips. So Apple will need to step up here to stay competitive.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 10 of 14
    Stabitha_ChristieStabitha_Christie Posts: 459member
    blastdoor said:
    So if apple can do that, then how about bringing back the airport base station and maybe also time capsule? 
    Because they don't sell? Apple didn't drop the products because they used someone else's chips. 
    mike1
  • Reply 11 of 14
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,333member
    Stabitha_Christie said:
    blastdoor said:
    So if apple can do that, then how about bringing back the airport base station and maybe also time capsule? 
    Because they don't sell? Apple didn't drop the products because they used someone else's chips. 
    They sold to me! 

    I’ve hated every WiFi solution I’ve had since. 

    Of course, with my luck they’ll bring it back in some monkey paw kind of way like they did with the studio display 😔
    williamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 12 of 14
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,293member
    blastdoor said:
    So if apple can do that, then how about bringing back the airport base station and maybe also time capsule? 

    What does one have to do with the other?! Decision to exit the router market has nothing to do with the chip set.


    watto_cobra
  • Reply 13 of 14
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,928member
    blastdoor said:
    So if apple can do that, then how about bringing back the airport base station and maybe also time capsule? 
    Because they don't sell? Apple didn't drop the products because they used someone else's chips. 
    Huh? Still using mine they sold, but Apple got distracted similar to canceling curated monitors for a while, or getting rid of MagSafe and then bringing it back.

    Apple at some point will be faced with bringing some version of Airport express/mesh routers, or even Mac servers to the market why? because the competition or Apple’s  suppliers won’t support their products as usual, over the last 24 years, Apple has in the end had to roll up their sleeves and come up with solutions that will allow them to move their OS systems and hardware systems forward.


    edited January 2023
  • Reply 14 of 14
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,928member
    mike1 said:
    blastdoor said:
    So if apple can do that, then how about bringing back the airport base station and maybe also time capsule? 

    What does one have to do with the other?! Decision to exit the router market has nothing to do with the chip set.


    Has everything to do with it hardware suppliers and would be competition won’t support your product to the level that you will (Intel Motorola IBM being examples), and ultimately is another reason why Apple opened up the physical retail stores selling their products so that they can be shown in their best light to the public, selling at CompUSA, Best Buy, Walmart or any other third-party retail store in the end was a losing proposition.

    At the time Apple, opening up those retail stores was met with derision like many of the things that they’ve done in the last 24 years.
    edited January 2023
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