iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip TechRadar Skip to main content TechRadar is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here's why you can trust us. iPhone 15 tipped to come with an upgraded 5G chip By David Nield published 9 October 2022 But it'll be made by Qualcomm The iPhone 14 is out now (Image credit: Future) Audio player loading… It's still very early days for iPhone 15 rumors – what with the iPhone 14 only launching last month – but we are starting to hear a few whispers about what to expect next year. The latest prediction of note concerns the 5G modem inside the iPhone 15. According to industry analyst Jeff Pu (via MacRumors (opens in new tab)), Apple is set to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X70 to power its 5G capabilities, up from the Snapdragon X65 that sits in the current iPhone 14 line-up. The upgraded chip offers lower latency and draws less power, and comes with a suite of artificial intelligence optimizations that should mean better speeds and more reliable coverage no matter the location of a phone. Apple s modem plans There is a subplot here, which is that Apple is known to be developing its own 5G modem, in the same way that it's been developing its own processors for the iPhone. Pu reckons that an Apple 5G chip is still some way off. Apple will also stick with Qualcomm for its 5G modem needs in the iPhone 16 scheduled for 2024, Pu says. That should be the Snapdragon X75, though we haven't heard anything about it at the moment. After that, we might see a handset in 2025 with a full set of Apple-made chips inside it – so consider this the very first rumor about the iPhone 17 as well. We will of course keep you posted on all the iPhone leaks and rumors in the meantime. Analysis Apple wants full control Apple clearly likes to have as much control as possible over the hardware components that go in its devices: having made chipsets for the iPhone and iPad for years, it has now switched its Macs over to Apple-made silicon as well. The 5G modem inside the iPhone is one of the few components that's still manufactured by a third party, but there's no doubt Apple wants to change that – that's why it spend so much money buying Intel's 5G modem business in 2019. For whatever reason, the process of switching is taking longer than was perhaps anticipated. There had been some speculation that an Apple 5G chip could appear in 2023, but that now looks less likely. It's going to happen eventually though, and Apple will be hoping that by being in charge of all of its own hardware and software development, it can make products that run even more efficiently and smoothly.iPhone 15 Pro tipped to get some major upgrades – and a new Ultra name David NieldFreelance ContributorDave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook. See more Mobile phones news TechRadar Newsletter Sign up to get breaking news, reviews, opinion, analysis and more, plus the hottest tech deals! Thank you for signing up to TechRadar. You will receive a verification email shortly. There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. MOST POPULARMOST SHARED1You may not have to sell a body part to afford the Nvidia RTX 4090 after all2My days as a helpful meat shield are over, thanks to the Killer Klown horror game3I tried the weirdest-looking Bluetooth speaker in the world, and I utterly adore it4It looks like Fallout's spiritual successor is getting a PS5 remaster5One of the world's most popular programming languages is coming to Linux1We finally know what 'Wi-Fi' stands for - and it's not what you think2Best laptops for designers and coders 3Miofive 4K Dash Cam review4Logitech's latest webcam and headset want to relieve your work day frustrations5Best offers on Laptops for Education – this festive season Technology Magazines (opens in new tab)● (opens in new tab)The best tech tutorials and in-depth reviewsFrom$12.99 (opens in new tab)View (opens in new tab)