According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is considering introducing cellular connectivity to its Mac product line for the first time. The Cupertino company is said to be "investigating" the possibility of adding a modem chip to future Macs, but Macs supporting 5G communications may not launch until 2026 or later.
As early as 2025, Apple plans to launch a custom 5G chip that has been in the works for years. The modem chip will be added to iPhone SE, low-cost iPad and iPhone 17 "Air", giving Apple the opportunity to test the technology before launching it into flagship devices.
Apple's custom 5G modem chips are planned to expand to other iPhones and iPads within three years, and may also appear in Macs. Macs equipped with 5G chips will be able to connect to cellular networks just like a 5G-enabled iPhone or iPad, without the need for Wi-Fi or cellular hotspots.
The first Apple modem chips will be limited to sub-6GHz 5G speeds, but second-generation versions will support faster millimeter wave technology. Apple aims to start competing on a par with Qualcomm with its third-generation models, offering better performance and artificial intelligence capabilities. It ultimately hopes to phase out Qualcomm modem chips and replace them with self-designed modem chips.
Last year, Gurman said that Macs using Apple-designed modem chips could launch as early as 2028, and that Apple planned to integrate 5G connectivity into its Apple Silicon chips.
Macs equipped with 5G connectivity have been rumored for several years, and as early as 2008, Apple considered adding a modem chip to the MacBook Air. Then-CEO Steve Jobs said it decided not to do so because modem chips would take up too much space and lock customers into specific carriers, but Apple's technology to develop its own chips has come a long way since then.