Report: Apple Designing In-House 5G iPhone Antenna Module

Production will start later this year, but Apple and its suppliers are actively developing the technologies that'll get inserted into the 2020 iPhone models.

Will this lineup offer 5G connectivity? Based on a new report, that does appear to be the case.

Yet there's a big unknown in terms of the antenna module.

Apple will design an in-house antenna module for its 5G-enabled units after Qualcomm's option fell short of expectations, a source tells Fast Company.

Now, both Apple and Qualcomm are racing toward a solution that allows these in-development iPhone models to latch onto wireless networks built for the future.

The QTM 525 millimeter-wave antenna module got rejected due to its design.

Apple would like to retain a sleek industrial design for the iPhone line in 2020, and Qualcomm's component just couldn't fit into the existing blueprint.

Qualcomm's latest 5G modem, the Snapdragon X55, should still appear in Apple's hardware.

Apple pulled the trigger last summer and acquired Intel's entire 5G modem business, but it doesn't appear that a proprietary component can be manufactured in-house and distributed in millions of products yet.

It could take a few years before Apple introduces an in-house 5G modem, but the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro do feature an Intel-made LTE modem.

So while development continues, Qualcomm will serve as the supplier of 5G modems for Apple across the iPhone and its other products set to gain enhanced connectivity in the near future.

The Snapdragon X55 grabs onto 5G networks to provide download speeds of up to 7Gbps and upload speeds of up to 3Gbps.

Ideally, Apple will use an in-house antenna module and Qualcomm's 5G modem.

The report does suggest, however, that the Cupertino-based company might release slightly thicker iPhone models if forced to use the QTM 525.

In the past, Apple ran into uses with in-house antenna modules.

The iPhone 4 struggled when a user covered its antennas, and a recent version of Apple's planned design required twice as much power as other antenna modules despite producing an identical radio signal.

It does prefer using in-house components to avoid royalty fees, but Apple could be forced to stick with Qualcomm on this one.

Apple's 2020 iPhone models should go official in mid-September.

Rumors will swirl until then, but it does seem as if 5G connectivity will definitely be part of the next-generation lineup.

Production will start later this year, but Apple and its suppliers are actively developing the technologies that'll get inserted into the 2020 iPhone models.

Will this lineup offer 5G connectivity? Based on a new report, that does appear to be the case.

Yet there's a big unknown in terms of the antenna module.

Apple will design an in-house antenna module for its 5G-enabled units after Qualcomm's option fell short of expectations, a source tells Fast Company.

Now, both Apple and Qualcomm are racing toward a solution that allows these in-development iPhone models to latch onto wireless networks built for the future.

The QTM 525 millimeter-wave antenna module got rejected due to its design.

Apple would like to retain a sleek industrial design for the iPhone line in 2020, and Qualcomm's component just couldn't fit into the existing blueprint.

Qualcomm's latest 5G modem, the Snapdragon X55, should still appear in Apple's hardware.

Apple pulled the trigger last summer and acquired Intel's entire 5G modem business, but it doesn't appear that a proprietary component can be manufactured in-house and distributed in millions of products yet.

It could take a few years before Apple introduces an in-house 5G modem, but the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro do feature an Intel-made LTE modem.

So while development continues, Qualcomm will serve as the supplier of 5G modems for Apple across the iPhone and its other products set to gain enhanced connectivity in the near future.

The Snapdragon X55 grabs onto 5G networks to provide download speeds of up to 7Gbps and upload speeds of up to 3Gbps.

Ideally, Apple will use an in-house antenna module and Qualcomm's 5G modem.

The report does suggest, however, that the Cupertino-based company might release slightly thicker iPhone models if forced to use the QTM 525.

In the past, Apple ran into uses with in-house antenna modules.

The iPhone 4 struggled when a user covered its antennas, and a recent version of Apple's planned design required twice as much power as other antenna modules despite producing an identical radio signal.

It does prefer using in-house components to avoid royalty fees, but Apple could be forced to stick with Qualcomm on this one.

Apple's 2020 iPhone models should go official in mid-September.

Rumors will swirl until then, but it does seem as if 5G connectivity will definitely be part of the next-generation lineup.