Apple is struggling to build its own 5G modem for iPhones, with the company now reportedly set to miss its spring 2025 release timeline. (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Qualcomm to will supply Apple with 5G modems at least through 2026 Apple has fallen even further behind in its multibillion-dollar effort to make its own modem chips with the intent of removing Qualcomm as a supplier. Mark Gurman for Bloomberg News: ‎ After already delaying a plan to have an in-house chip ready by next year, Apple is now likely to miss a goal to ship the component by the spring of 2025, according to people familiar with the situation. That would postpone the release until at least the end of 2025 or early 2026 — the final year of Apple’s recently extended contract with Qualcomm. Thousands of employees have worked on the project since 2018, and still Apple…

Apple is continuing to run into troubles in its attempt to develop a 5G modem to replace Qualcomm's 5G modems in the iPhone and other products, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple in 2019 acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone business and started in on a serious effort to develop its own modem hardware, but the project has suffered multiple setbacks. Apple is still "years away" from creating a chip that is able to perform as well as or better than chips from rival Qualcomm. The Cupertino company initially wanted to have an in-house modem chip ready to go by 2024, a goal that could not be met, and now Gurman says that Apple is also going to miss an extended…

The intuitive interface guides the user where to point their iPhone to connect to a satellite. With iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro, you can use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services when you’re off the grid with no cellular and Wi-Fi coverage. Emergency SOS via satellite is free for two years after the activation of an iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 15, or iPhone 15 Pro. Ron Amadeo for Ars Technica: ‎ One of the iPhone 14’s major new features was “Emergency SOS via satellite.” During normal usage, smartphones struggle to connect to something as far away as a satellite, but it’s possible to send out tiny bits of data under…

Like previous EarFun releases, the new buds nail high-quality sound and offer premium features. But noise cancellation seemed "meh." (via Cult of Mac - Tech and culture through an Apple lens)

Apple's next-generation iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with Qualcomm's latest cellular modem, according to technology analyst Jeff Pu, enabling faster and more power efficient 5G connectivity for the devices. In a research note this week with investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 modem. However, he expects the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to retain the Snapdragon X70 modem used for the entire iPhone 15 lineup. Apple has typically used the same Qualcomm modem across all models for each generation of iPhones, excluding the low-end iPhone SE, so this would be a change in strategy for…