Speaking on Yahoo Finance’s "Opening Bid" podcast, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon [pictured] said the firm is now planning under the assumption that Job’s Mob will stop using its modem tech.
"That’s our contract, you know, and if we don’t get a new contract, that’s what it is," Amon said, brushing aside what he described as "so much drama" around the Apple relationship. Given Cupertino’s history of legal scuffles and attempts to undercut suppliers, his comment carries more than a hint of weariness.
"We’re planning our business assuming that they are going to use their own modem. What’s exciting about the company is all of this growth that we’re creating… including on Android," he added, emphasising Qualcomm's expanding presence in the far more open Android ecosystem.
This effort to strike a nonchalant tone comes despite the fact that Apple shelled out more than $2.5 billion in 2024 just for Qualcomm's patent licences. The chipmaker also pulled in between $5.7 billion and $5.9 billion in modem revenue from Cupertino that year. That's a hefty amount to lose, but apparently worth it if it means cutting ties with a partner who has long wanted to build its own wheels while still borrowing the engine.
Amon’s "no big deal" stance looks even more justified when you remember Qualcomm recently funded a study comparing Android phones with Snapdragon modems to the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem. Predictably, Qualcomm came out ahead, though Apple fanboys were quick to cry foul. Still, even with a head start, Job’s Mob’s homegrown modem lacked mmWave support and didn’t light up the benchmarks.
Apple rolled out its C1 modem in February 2025 with the iPhone 16e, hyping improved power efficiency but glossing over missing features. The same chip is expected in the iPhone 17 Air later this year. Despite its in-house efforts, Qualcomm modems will still be under the bonnet of other iPhones until at least March 2027.
Meanwhile, Apple is desperately trying to prove it can go it alone. The Tame Apple Press suggests it is working on an improved C1 and even a C2 modem, with whispers of a modem-equipped MacBook Pro floating about. Given its track record with hardware transitions, scepticism is more than warranted.
