Apple's India-Manufactured iPhone 15 Equipped with Qualcomm X70 5G Modem

The detailed analysis by iFixit has unveiled intriguing aspects of Apple’s newest iPhone 15. While it retains the previous A16 Bionic chipset, the recent model has notable logic board updates, including a significant modem upgrade. The iPhone 15 now houses Qualcomm’s X70 modem, progressing from the X65 version found in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max – both of which utilised the same A16 Bionic chipset.

Moreover, Apple has incorporated the X70 modem into the A17 Pro-powered iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max variants. It's evident that Qualcomm's advanced modem, also embedded in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC featured in flagship Android devices, boasts greater power efficiency.

These developments come amidst Apple's ongoing endeavour to craft its proprietary 5G modem. It's worth recalling Apple's billion-dollar acquisition of Intel’s modem enterprise in 2019. Initially, Apple settled patent royalty disputes with Qualcomm, committing to utilise its modems until 2023. However, in a recent twist, this agreement was unexpectedly extended to 2026, catching even Qualcomm off-guard.

While Apple has diligently updated the internals of iPhone 15, maintaining the chipset from its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro, the tech giant remained conspicuously silent about this significant enhancement.

This series of events underscores the tumultuous dynamics between Apple and Qualcomm. The prevalent belief is that Apple, hindered by Qualcomm's vast 5G modem technology patent arsenal, struggles to produce a competitive modem. The essence of Apple's litigation against Qualcomm revolved around the perceived exorbitant royalties charged due to Qualcomm's patent leverage.

Apple's fervent ambition to sever its Qualcomm dependency isn't an endeavour with immediate fruition. Recall that Apple transitioned to Intel modems, but Intel's inability to produce a competitive 5G modem compelled the sale of its modem business to Apple. Intel's setbacks resulted in Apple lagging by nearly a year in 5G deployment, which was realised in 2020 with the iPhone 12, while most Android flagships had embraced 5G in 2019.

Worth noting is that this year's iPhone 15 range is being produced in India. However, the inclusion of the X70 modem isn't exclusive to Indian-manufactured units but extends to iPhones produced globally.