Apple expands chip development team, intends to replace all chips purchased outside

Recently, foreign media have reported that Apple is gradually switching from buying chips from suppliers used in its products to developing its own chips like the case of A series chips on iPhones or iPhones. M series chips on iPads and tablets.

Apple is hiring dozens of engineers at a location in Southern California to develop parts that could eventually replace existing products purchased from companies like Broadcom, Skyworks, and Qualcomm. The office is located in Irvine, California, near Los Angeles, where many of the major chipmakers are located.

According to the job posting, Apple is looking for employees with expertise in modem chips and wireless semiconductors, who will enter the radio, radio-frequency integrated semiconductor, and semiconductor research fields. Bluetooth and WiFi connection.

One job listing says: “Apple’s growing wireless chip development team is working on the next generation of wireless chips!” Another employee said that employees will “be the core of the wireless SoC design team and will have a critical impact on the adoption of Apple’s most advanced wireless connectivity solutions for hundreds of millions of products.” .”

Apple signed a three-and-a-half-year agreement with Broadcom in 2020, which means it expires in 2023. Under the terms of the agreement, Broadcom provided Apple with “a wide range of components and models.” -specified high-performance wireless module.”

After the contract expires, Apple will no longer need to use Broadcom components and can rely on its own components.

Apple has been working hard to put more chips into production internally to reduce its reliance on third-party vendors. For example, Apple is “going fairly smoothly” in the development of 5G modem chips, when work on the chip is complete, the company will be able to stop buying 5G chips from Qualcomm.

It is rumored that Apple’s modem chip will be used in the 2023 iPhone models, so Apple will continue to use the Qualcomm chip in the iPhone 14 series.

Apple’s long-term supplier TSMC will produce Apple-designed 5G modems for the 2023 iPhones. Qualcomm has admitted that it expects to supply only 20% of modems for the 2023 iPhones. Apple will largely switch to chips. its own 5G.