- Apple is hiring 6G talent already
- It's looking for cellular engineers familiar with the standard
- If the giant's experience with 5G modems is an example, analysts say the company will need to build up 6G IP
Apple is hoping to bring in 6G talent well before the future cellular standard comes to pass. Their hiring push should come as no surprise because it spent years trying to buy-in or develop a 5G modem to wean itself off the Qualcomm 5G teat.
Apple developed and introduced its C1 5G modem in February 2025, six years after buying in 5G modem technology from Intel. That C1 modem is currently still being used in Apple’s lower-end iPhone 16e model. Qualcomm’s CEO Cristiano Amon said that Apple will use Qualcomm’s 5G modems until March 2027 in its higher-end phones.
Now, it seems that Apple is planning to try and make sure that the same circumstance doesn’t happen for 6G, as that cellular standard becomes commercial around 2030.
"It's unsurprising...Apple's recent commercial milestone of using their own C1 modem on the iPhone 16e (supporting only sub-6 GHz) shows that they have finally made headway 6 years after acquiring Intel's modem's business in Q42019," commented AvidThink analyst Roy Chua in an email. "They haven't yet caught up with Qualcomm's modems, which continue to be used in their flagship iPhones."
Investing in talent and IP
Apple currently has over nine positions open that are related to the 6G standard. This includes a cellular L2-3 architecture and system engineer in Israel and 6G AI wireless engineers in San Diego, Calif., as well as other positions.
“I would be surprised if Apple has not already hired people to work on 6G,” Recon Analytics analyst Daryl Schoolar said in an email to Fierce. “I know they have been involved in the standard and standards take a decade from concept to commercialization so companies like Apple need to be acquiring the talent years before any products become a reality.”
Apple — like Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia — will need to develop 6G patents and intellectual property (IP) before the commercial standard comes to pass.
“We are just starting to define 6G standards, so it is far too early to need engineers to actually build 6G modems,” said Avi Greengart, president of Techsponential. “However, it is the perfect time to invest in developing those standards and creating 6G IP that can be used to lower or offset future licensing costs.”
Clearly, it's still early days for the development of the 6G standard. We should, however, expect to see more telco and device vendors hire on relevant talent as the standard draws closer.