16-inch MacBook Pro with M4 Pro chip in a studio being used
(Image credit: Future)
Apple is purportedly ‘investigating’ a 5G modem for its Macs
The modem won’t be in Macs until 2026, or maybe even later
Its own modem would bring down costs making 5G viable for Macs
Apple is mulling over finally adding a cellular modem to its Macs, after that prospect has been floating around the rumor mill for some time.
A cellular (5G) modem would mean that MacBooks could hook up to mobile broadband when on the move, as opposed to having to find public Wi-Fi somewhere or be tethered to an iPhone.
The rumor comes from a reliable source regarding Apple’s inner machinations, Mark Gurman, in an article for Bloomberg (via MacRumors).
Gurman believes Apple is ‘investigating’ the idea of a 5G modem in its Macs, but that such a model won’t be here next year – it’ll be 2026 at the earliest (or maybe even later).
The chip will be a custom-built 5G modem that Apple is readying for certain iPhone and iPad models next year, including the rumored iPhone 17 Air (also referred to as the iPhone 17 Slim). It’ll first be deployed on lower-end devices to test the waters before coming to the more heavyweight iOS hardware.
Apple’s 5G chip will replace the Qualcomm modems that it uses in iOS devices now, and in theory, if the firm’s own modems prove to be a success, they’ll come to Macs as well as the flagship iPhone and iPad models.
While the first generation of Apple’s modem will probably be a relatively modest piece of tech, Gurman believes that the company is planning to outgun Qualcomm’s modems by the third generation.
That might be a realistic ambition if Apple can achieve a similar success to that witnessed with the transition from Intel processors in Macs to its own M-series chips.
MacBook Air M3
(Image credit: Future)
Analysis: Bringing down the costs
As MacRumors points out, Gurman has previously said that Macs with 5G modems probably wouldn’t debut until 2028, so that timeframe has possibly been moved up. 'Possibly' is the key word there, as 2026 is mentioned as the earliest year we might see cellular-toting Macs, so it could well be more like 2027 before these devices turn up. If at all – Apple could always kick this plan further down the road, too.
You might well be wondering: why has it taken so long for Apple to get this modem-for-Mac plan on the table? Well, mainly because of the costly expense of paying Qualcomm for the necessary modems (and associated tech patent fees) if this were to be done right now – something that’ll be mitigated considerably when Apple has its own 5G modem.
Certainly, a 5G modem isn’t on everyone’s Mac wishlist, as you’ll need to stump up for the necessary mobile data subscription to use it, of course. But it’s going to be a tempting prospect for those who spend a lot of time on the move with their MacBook, and definitely a useful option to have. Note that 5G will, of course, be an optional addition, and not something you’ll get on the entry-level models.
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Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).