Apple 6G plans come to light as 5G development shelved; Know when it could launch

With the 5G modem development reportedly being shelved, Apple 6G plans have now seemingly taken off, with the company posting a job listing for designing a 6G reference architecture. Know all about it.

Apple is reportedly planning to develop its 6G infrastructure as it struggles to continue the development of its 5G modem. (Unsplash)

Apple has been making attempts to develop in-house solutions for its suite of products for years. One of the most notable inventions has been the lightning port, which was the Cupertino-based tech giant's proprietary charging solution on its iPhone, iPad, and other devices. However, not all of it has worked out. Its FireWire technology didn't even take off before being shelved. But that hasn't stopped the company from innovating. The Apple Silicon chipsets are one of the best in the business, known for offering great battery life alongside supreme performance. Apple has also been reportedly working on bringing its own 5G modem to iPhones in an attempt to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm, with which it has continued a feud. However, those plans are in jeopardy. On the other hand, Apple 6G development seems to have taken off as per a new finding. Know all about Apple's 6G plans.

Apple 6G plans

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman highlighted an Apple job listing on its website which might have just revealed the company's 6G plans. The listing is for a Cellular Platform Architect who will be responsible for leading and coordinating the design of a 6G reference architecture.

The full listing states, “As a Cellular Platform Architect, you will drive and coordinate the design and modeling of a 6G reference architecture. A suitable set of prototype implementations and reference architecture models needs to be developed that allow the evaluation of technology candidates and use cases. In that role you will plan, drive, and actively participate in those modeling and prototyping activities. You will collaborate cross-functionally with research and development teams in proposing, planning, and implementing simulations and experiments to assess 6G technology candidates!”

While this listing is relatively new, it is not the first time that Apple has looked to hire people to develop its 6G infrastructure. In 2021, the tech giant posted listings for Wireless System Research Engineer positions to work on 5G and 6G in San Diego and Silicon Valley.

But that does not mean that Apple's 6G technology is arriving anytime soon. As per Gurman, there is no information on the 6G network speeds as compared to 5G, and it isn't due to arrive at least until 2030. But this does give Apple ample time to potentially kick-start the development of its 5G modem again for its iPhones and other devices if it wishes to do so.