Apple is preparing to replace the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips in its products, currently supplied by Broadcom, with a chip of its own design. According to a new report from Bloomberg, the company has been working hard on this project for several years and is expected to start rolling out the chips in its products starting in 2025.
The chip is separate from the internal 5G cellular modem, which will eventually replace Qualcomm's parts, although the two projects are intended to work together in an end-to-end wireless system that Apple hopes will be more energy efficient.
The new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, named Proxima, will first appear in the refreshed HomePod Mini and Apple TV devices, but is also expected to appear in the iPhone 17 later this year. Macs will receive the new chip starting in 2026, according to the report.
Apple may not be able to meet all of the technical capabilities offered by Broadcom, according to Bloomberg's sources, but the chip will still support Wi-Fi 6E. If the chip doesn't support Wi-Fi 7, it would be a step backwards from this year's iPhones, which support that standard.
Apple's main goal with the chips, at least initially, appears to be closer integration with its other chips and products and better size and power efficiency, to improve battery life and provide new factors of product shape.
