iPhone 15 is steadily approaching with Apple's September event set for the 12th. We've predicted an exact release date on September 22, although the iPhone 15 Pro Max delay rumors could take it beyond September. And even with Apple's next flagship phone not even in our hands yet, iPhone 16 rumors are already overwhelming the internet.
However, now we're getting a glimpse even further into the future with iPhone 17 rumors, even though the phone is more than two years away from release. This latest rumor comes from industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple will implement "its own modem chip starting in 2025" (via Android Authority). If true, this should apply to the iPhone 17.
Apple branded modem chip inside an iPhone 17?
Qualcomm is the current primary supplier for Apple's 5G modem chips, but Apple's rumored shift to its own line would further prove that the company is doing this on a large scale across multiple products.
It has only been a few years since laptops powered by Apple Silicon through the original M1 chip were released after the company made a shift over from Intel processors.
But Kuo's information doesn't completely confirm which iPhone model will be launched with the modem first. iPhone 15 is certainly launching this year, while 2024 will be reserved for iPhone 16.
Considering Kuo claims 2025 will be when Apple is "expected to use" its own chips, we will likely see it on the iPhone 17. The only other alternative for a late 2025 launch would be a cellular iPad model, but Apple is no stranger to delays so we could see it pushed back to iPhone 18 in 2026.
We expect to get a full collection of iPhone 17 rumors at the start of next year, as we received plenty of iPhone 16 leaks early in 2023.
