Apple's 5G Modem Chip Efforts Fall Far Short of Qualcomm's, Billions Spent with Little Progress

Apple has spent billions trying to develop its own 5G modem chip to replace Qualcomm's, but WSJ says the prototypes are 3 years behind Qualcomm.

The project, codenamed Sinope, has faced obstacles like unrealistic goals, poor communication, and lack of leadership.

Apple thought its success with processors meant it could build modem chips, but they are more complex to design and build.

Late tests found Apple's prototypes were too slow, got too hot, took up too much space, and were far behind Qualcomm.

Delays indicate Apple underestimated the complexity; it has extended its deal with Qualcomm and won't have its own modem ready before 2025 at best.