Apple has paused development of an in-house Wi-Fi chip that was set to replace components from Broadcom, according to analyst Ming-Chu Kuo.
The Apple-designed silicon was intended to enable Wi-Fi functions in its devices starting in 2025.
- Now, Apple has halted that work and will continue sourcing the chips from Broadcom "for a while," according to Kuo.
- He
attributed the pause to Apple's need to dedicate more resources to its
"A" and "M" series chips — which use 3nm processor technology — for
iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
- "Insufficient development resources" have delayed the Wi-FI chip as well as Apple's plans for a 5G chip, he noted.
- The
move was part of Apple's goals to design and manufacture more in-house
chips and control the supply of the technology inside its devices.
- According
to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has also been working on a combined
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip. It could eventually design a chip that
combines Wi-Fi, Bluetooth functions, and cellular modem functions.