It’s quite common for complaints to be filed against Apple when it launches MacBook with 5G. And all indications are that the request has not fallen on deaf ears, as Cupertino residents will be working to introduce cellular variants of their laptops. Of course, you shouldn’t get your hopes up too much in advance.
As Mark Gurman mentioned in the latest issue of his newsletter. Turn on, Californians’ roadmap includes MacBook development with 5G. However, this plan is part of a much larger strategy that involves creating its own cellular modem. A project that Apple has already devoted several years to, but the results have been more pain than glory.
Famous journalist Bloomberg once again emphasized the inconveniences faced by Tim Cook’s team during development in the house component for providing mobile communication with your devices. The idea is that a 5G modem will debut on the iPhone, but the initiative has been repeatedly delayed due to both hardware and software issues.
The most recent data suggests that Apple could debut this key part in the iPhone SE 4, with the target date today set between late 2025 and early 2026. A couple of years after that, the company will begin the transition to bring it to the iPad, Apple Watch and, finally, the Mac. Therefore, if luck and wind are in our favor, MacBook with 5G connectivity may not arrive until 2028.
Why is Apple taking so long to release 5G MacBooks?
The current agreement between Apple and Qualcomm for the supply of 5G modems runs until 2026. The San Diego chipmaker expects to supply about 20% of the cellular chips used in iPhones this year. Meanwhile, Cupertino residents are working on their own solution, which has proven to be very difficult.
Apple doesn’t want to release its own modem until it works as well or better than any top-tier third-party alternative. This resulted in the project taking much longer to develop. And as we said, the hardware won’t make it to other Apple products until it’s successful on the iPhone. Thus, no longer wanting to depend on external suppliers, MacBook with 5G is introduced as an option in at least 5 years.
According to Gurman, Apple’s original idea was for the modem to function as a separate component. But the ultimate goal is to It can be integrated with the SoC of various products.. This means that unless the plan is changed midway, the hypothetical 5G connection of future MacBooks will be integrated into the M-series Apple Silicon chips.
Long term strategy
This is not the first time there has been talk of a possible 5G MacBook being developed. In 2019, for example, there were rumors that Apple would release a laptop with cellular connectivity in the second half of 2020. Something, of course, never happened. Since then, this possibility has led to some vague speculation, but without much weight.
If the report is about Bloomberg You are right, Only in the final part of the current decade will we be able to see a MacBook with 5G.. This will depend on Apple completing development of its own cellular modem in time and that its use does not have a negative impact on other areas. For example, design, autonomy and retail price of equipment.
It’s worth remembering that Apple has already flirted with the possibility of including mobile connectivity in its laptops. In 2008, the company was close to releasing a MacBook Air with support for 3G networks. However, the project was canceled due to Steve Jobs. Because? Because the modem took up too much space and would force users to be tied to the telephone operator. Meanwhile, in 2016, Apple registered two patents for the use of LTE connections in the MacBook, which have also not yet been implemented.
Source: Hiper Textual
I’m Ben Stock, a highly experienced and passionate journalist with a career in the news industry spanning more than 10 years. I specialize in writing content for websites, including researching and interviewing sources to produce engaging articles. My current role is as an author at Gadget Onus, where I mainly cover the mobile section.
