Apple will increase the usage of customized chips in its future units. It will begin with the upcoming iPhone 17 Air utilizing its in-house modem.
The M5 MacBook Air will then observe, utilizing a brand new in-house wi-fi chip, probably combining Wi-Fi and Bluetooth performance into one.
iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17e to make use of Apple-supplied modem
Apple’s customized wi-fi chip ambitions took a giant leap ahead with the launch of the iPhone 16e earlier this yr. The telephone makes use of Apple’s customized C1 modem. Whereas it misses out on quicker 5G mmWave connectivity, it’s the most power-efficient modem ever in an iPhone, delivering a major enhance to battery life.
Inside code, which Apple appears to have by accident shared, now offers extra perception into its customized chip ambitions. It would use its in-house modem on the upcoming iPhone 17 Air and subsequent yr’s iPhone 16e.
Nonetheless, it’s unclear whether or not it would characteristic the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem or a more moderen variant with mmWave assist. Nonetheless, the power-efficient nature of the chip ought to bode nicely for the iPhone 17 Air’s runtime.
Subsequent-gen MacBook Air to get Apple’s customized wi-fi chip
Apple is not going to simply restrict itself to iPhone modems. It would additionally use its customized wi-fi chip on the M5 MacBook Air.
Whereas not talked about in as we speak’s leak, a preferred Apple analyst beforehand predicted that the chip may debut on the iPhone 17 first. The unified Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module will seemingly assist “improve connectivity throughout Apple units.”
The upcoming M5 MacBook Airs, codenamed J813 (13-inch) & J815 (15-inch) will obtain a brand new Apple-made wi-fi chip primarily based on the leaked Apple code.
That is very probably the mixed Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip beforehand reported by @markgurman
— Aaron (@aaronp613) August 14, 2025
Apple at the moment sources Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modules from Broadcom for its units.
If not the next-gen iPhones, Apple will use its in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip on the M5 MacBook Air. The slim laptop computer ought to debut in H2 or H3, 2026. In addition to Wi-Fi 7 assist, it might deliver different notable effectivity enhancements, due to the deeper {hardware} and software program integration.