Qualcomm has announced an agreement with Apple to continue supplying 5G modems for the iPhone until 2026. This deal delays the arrival of an Apple-created modem in the iPhone for a few more years. Previously, it was expected that the 2023 iPhone 15 would be the last model to feature a Qualcomm 5G chip.

According to the press release, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 5G Modem-RF Systems will be provided to Apple for smartphone launches in 2024, 2025, and 2026. This means that Qualcomm’s modems will be used in the iPhone 18 range.

This agreement marks a significant reversal for Qualcomm, as it had previously anticipated that Apple would start using its own modems in the near future. Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon had speculated that Apple would have its own modem by 2024, but also acknowledged that Apple could continue to rely on Qualcomm if needed.

Apple has been working on developing its own 5G chipsets since 2019, when it acquired Intel’s smartphone modem business. However, little information has been revealed about the progress of this endeavor.

While the supply agreement is positive for Qualcomm, the company does not expect to be the sole provider of modems for Apple in the future. Qualcomm’s long-term financial planning assumes that it could have only a 20 percent share of modems used in Apple’s smartphone launches in 2026.