Networking appears to be the new Apple Silicon. But why?
Apple has already seized a leadership position with Apple Silicon. Now, it seeks to build a second bridgehead in networking chips so it can make the 5G chip, the Wi-Fi chip, and Bluetooth chips used inside its devices.
Why?
Cutting component costs might be part of its calculation, but improving performance, battery life, and the integration of these very different networking components might well yield a greater prize.
Apple now aims to introduce the first combined Wi-FI/Bluetooth chip in Apple TV and HomePod mini in early 2025, with the component set to appear in iPhones later next year. Macs and iPads will reportedly gain the new networking component in 2026. Current supplier Broadcom will continue to supply Apple with RF filters and is now working with it on development of AI chips for Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers. (Broadcom and Apple also have some relationship on development of 5G modems for Apple’s devices.
To some extent, much of this was known. Apple’s silicon development teams have been working on multiple chips for use in Apple devices for some time, including M-, A-, S- and R- series chips used in Macs, iPhones, iPads, the Apple Watch and Vision Pro.
It also makes the W-series processors that manage Bluetooth and battery use on Apple Watch; the H-series chips (which are more efficient than W-family processors) inside AirPods; and the U-series family of UWB processors. There may be a handful of additional Apple-designed silicon components still in play in some older devices — it also made the T-series system management processors in late period Intel Macs.
Apple is also a member of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, which defines the Bluetooth standard.
Apple’s big plan?
Development takes a lot of investment. Apple now has thousands of highly qualified engineering staffers working on silicon design for its fleet of devices. In Munich, Germany alone, the company now employs more than 2,000 people and we know it has others working on silicon development at key locations worldwide, including in the UK, where Apple CEO Tim Cook paid a visit this week.
All this activity — and speculation Intel might try to poach Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president for hardware technologies — represent the degree of investment Apple has been making in this sector.
Really, and truly, Apple has gone from zero to hero in processor design since it first invested in PA Semi. These investments mean the company now competes at the top of the silicon design industry and has the processors it needs to design and manufacture devices that just weren’t possible with other chips, opening doors for new types of hardware, wearables, and various forms of home/enterprise computing.
But while it isn’t clear how Apple can make a version of Wi-FI and Bluetooth that makes an inherent difference to its customers, the opportunities the project brings to product design seem a little clearer.
What benefits does this bring?
That’s the strategic benefit of what Apple has done so far in terms of core processor design (CPU, GPU, Neural Engine, etc). Now, Apple seems to want to achieve similar benefits in networking. What form could those benefits take? There are some obvious possibilities:
- Lower cost components: One way to keep retail costs stable is to control manufacturing costs.
- Better integration: Think of it as the whole widget approach.
- Energy use: Better heat dissipation and energy use should make for ever slimmer designs, potentially including the rumored iPhone 17 Slim.
- Optimization: Better integration should make for improved networking stability.
- Commodification: Apple gets to augment core networking features with Apple-only additions to benefit users.
- Licensing: While unlikely, the company might want to license its networking technologies (even on a FRAND basis to improve its hand when negotiating other licenses). It may also want (or be forced) to put a “Made for Apple” licensing system in place to open up any Apple-only features to third-parties.
- Innovation: While Apple isn’t ready to do so yet, combining networking components on a single chip — or even eventually on a single SOC — should enable new opportunities, such as improved support for satellite communications. (Satellite is evidently part of Apple’s vision for networking, as will be HomeKit and biometrically controlled digital key deployments.)
- Independence: Apple wants to reduce its reliance on third-party manufacturers for strategic components used in its devices.
Of course, these are just some of the possibilities. But to my mind, the biggest motivation will be to apply further differentiation to Apple’s hardware.
That’s not going to mean Apple will attempt to sell its devices on the merits of its own Bluetooth chip — that’s not Apple’s way. Its approach is to market its products on the basis of the features they bring. I think this means the integration of network services will form the foundation for new hardware features and services somewhere down the line, the most obvious being built-in LAN enhancements and satellite messaging.
On the latter, it is interesting just how many of the stories circulating in recent weeks seem to lead toward satellite, giving me a chance to grab my copy of Eddy Ramos’ Book of Laughs and say that when it comes to Apple’s future networking silicon adventures, you really should watch the skies. Unless you live in New Jersey or Oregon, where you may prefer to keep your eyes down to protect your sanity.
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