According to technology analyst Jeff Pu, Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with Qualcomm's latest cellular modem, allowing these devices to achieve faster and more power-saving 5G connections.
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In a research note this week with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem. However, he expects that the standard version of iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will continue to use the Snapdragon X70 modem used in the iPhone 15 series. Apple typically uses the same Qualcomm modem in all iPhone models with every generation except for the low-end iPhone SE, so this would be a change in strategy for the company.
Snapdragon X75 was released in February 2023. Compared with X70, it uses improved carrier aggregation technology and other advanced technologies to achieve faster 5G download and upload speeds. The modem’s combination of mmWave and sub-6GHz 5G transceivers takes up 25% less board space and consumes 20% less power.
The Snapdragon X75 also supports the latest "5GAdvanced" standard, which is called "the next stage of 5G" and "the evolution to 6G." 5GAdvanced will include artificial intelligence and machine learning enhancements to improve 5G performance, and it will also expand 5G to more types of devices and use cases.
Apple is likely to launch "5GAdvanced" functionality on the iPhone 16 Pro models, just like the iPhone 6s received "LTEAdvanced" support in 2015.
Apple has been rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, but the project has reportedly faced development challenges and if the modem comes to fruition, it's not expected to be announced until 2025 or later. Meanwhile, Apple extended its 5G modem deal with Qualcomm until 2026.
Apple should announce the iPhone 16 series in September 2024, so there is still a lot of time before these devices are launched.