Apple Reportedly Shifts to In-House Modem Engineering Led by Johny Srouji

Apple has assembled an in-house modem engineering team led by its chipmaking chief Johny Srouji, according to Reuters.

From the report:

Apple Inc has moved its modem chip engineering effort into its in-house hardware technology group from its supply chain unit, two people familiar with the move told Reuters, a sign the tech company is looking to develop a key component of its iPhones after years of buying it from outside suppliers.

The report claims Srouji, senior vice president of hardware technologies at Apple, took over the company's modem design efforts in January.

The in-house shift provides further evidence that Apple may be planning to develop its own cellular modem for future iPhones, as previously reported. Apple currently sources iPhone modems from Intel after cutting its ties with Qualcomm amid a major legal battle between Apple and Qualcomm.

Apple is expected to release its first 5G-enabled iPhone in 2020, but it's unclear if it will have an in-house chip ready by that time. If not, a previous report said Intel will supply Apple with 5G chips, but the iPhone maker is said to be "unhappy" with Intel's progress and may have to look elsewhere.