Gurman points out that Apple's hardware team wants to repeat what it did to Intel when it dumped its chips from its entire Mac lineup, but things are not going so well.

For over a decade, Apple has relied on Qualcomm's modem chips. But in 2018, amidst a legal spat over royalties and patents, Apple decided to embark on its own modem design. It has taken time, billions of dollars, thousands of engineers, and countless hours on a project that, at least initially, won't improve their devices.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be better, and it just does not have to be significantly worse. The Tame Apple Press will tell its legions of followers that it is better than they will believe it and ignore the countless reviews which will say otherwise.

So far though the results have been such a turkey that even Jobs Mob could not put it out. Performance issues and overheating problems have plagued Apple's modem project in the past few years.

The debut has been delayed until next year at the earliest, and the rollout will be painfully slow, starting with niche models and taking years to complete. Apple has extended its supplier agreement with Qualcomm through March 2027 as a telling sign of this sluggish transition.

Ironically, any justification Apple might make for building the modem on the grounds it will save money will be pointless.

Qualcomm has stated that Apple will still owe royalties, as it believes Apple will not be able to avoid infringing its patents.

Later on, Apple plans to integrate its modem design into a new wireless chip that handles Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, potentially improving reliability and battery life. There's also the distant possibility of combining all this into the device's main system on a chip, which could cut costs and save space inside the iPhone, allowing for more design choices.

 If Apple manages to save money by ditching Qualcomm, it might redirect those funds towards new features and components. But for now, it seems like a lot of effort for very little gain.