Apple is about to do something they've never done before. Instead of just buying chips, they'll be putting one of their own inside a phone.  They have lots of experience making hardware. Now they are going to do the same for 5G chips. This is the most exciting bit. All phones have pieces inside them that help them connect to 5G. Typically, Apple buys these from a company called Qualcomm. But not anymore. Apple has been making their own 5G chips. Apple wants to control every part of their phones, from the most expensive model to the cheapest one. A new design this big doesn't just appear overnight. Apple has been working on it for several years. The iPhone SE is a pretty affordable phone.

Apple's first ever 5G chip will be inside the iPhone SE model. It is a pretty big deal. Qualcomm makes 5G chips for other companies. Later on, Apple will also make 5G chips. We will see three different in-house 5G chips in the future. Apple requires time to perfect their in-house 5G chip. Soon, Apple will have a 5G chip that will possibly surpass Qualcomm's performance by 2027.  Companies have marketed mmWave and faster chip modem models recently.

First off, Apple's new chips are not going to be as good as their competitors but that is fine for the start of a new product. Apple always think about the big picture. They still rely on Qualcomm for their most important models, the Pro iPhones.  Apple wants to make their new iPhones to be the best possible, and they are willing to take their time with that.  They just don't want their brand to be associated with something that is clearly behind their competitors. Therefore, the iPhone SE 4 is likely to have an understated announcement. Apple will discuss this chip, and it will most likely be a little bit of a quiet release. This is definitely different for them. Apple is known for launching something and then making a big deal.  This is not going to be that way.

Some people might say Apple is playing a little bit of a strategy game. Since they want to fully control the phone's hardware, they don't want to release something that isn't being the best.  Apple wants to control everything.  This is going to be a major change for them. This is what Apple is known for.  Apple will have to listen to what consumers want.

Apple's 5G Shift: A Steady Pace

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