Apple Adopting Custom-Designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Chip in 2025, Cutting Reliance on Broadcom
Apple is switching over to a new Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip that it designed in-house starting in 2025, reports Bloomberg. The combined Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip will replace components from Broadcom, allowing Apple to reduce its reliance on the company.
The chip, referred to as "Proxima" internally, will be introduced in Apple products starting in 2025. It will come to the iPhone 17 models, the Apple TV, and HomePod mini to begin with, and to the iPad and the Mac in 2026.
Apple's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip is distinct from the 5G modem chip that Apple is also designing, but eventually, Apple wants to combine these into a single component. The overarching goal is to create a wireless setup where the components are tightly integrated and more energy efficient, allowing Apple to cut down on the battery use of cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth technologies.
Apple will also be able to create thinner devices and new wearable technology with the custom chips that it is creating.
Like Qualcomm, Broadcom is a company that has long supplied components to Apple for its devices. Apple does not want to continue to rely so heavily on parts from either Qualcomm or Broadcom, and it will also start phasing out Qualcomm modems in 2025. The iPhone SE, low-end iPad, and iPhone 17 Air are set to adopt Apple's custom 5G modem.
Apple won't be able to stop using components from Broadcom entirely, and it will still use a Broadcom-designed radio frequency filter for modems. Apple is also working with Broadcom on future cloud server chips.
Popular Stories
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past.
The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced that steep tariffs will be applied to imports from many countries, starting April 9. The tariffs could have a significant impact on Apple, as the company assembles the majority of iPhones in China, and products imported to the U.S. from China will be subject to a 54% tariff.
iPhone prices could increase by up to 43% in the U.S. due to the...
Apple today released watchOS 11.4, the fourth major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.4 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2.
watchOS 11.4 can be downloaded on a connected iPhone by opening up the Apple Watch app and going to General > Software Update. To install the new software,...
Apple is reportedly planning a major upgrade to the Telephoto camera in the iPhone 17 Pro, and while it may seem like a step back on paper, the change could actually improve real-world usability, if one leaker's claims are anything to go by.
According to Majin Bu, the iPhone 17 Pro will feature a new Telephoto lens with a 48MP sensor, up from the current 12MP sensor found in the iPhone 16...
Apple today seeded the first betas of upcoming iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming just two days after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4.
iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.
We don't yet know what Apple is introducing in the iOS 18.5...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC.
It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
