Qualcomm Renews Apple Patent License Effective April 1, 2027

Apple and Qualcomm have renewed their global patent license agreement effective April 1, 2027, extending the companies' licensing relationship as Apple continues shifting the iPhone lineup to its own cellular modems.

Qualcomm disclosed no term length, payment details, or other conditions for the renewed agreement. "We are pleased to extend the Apple license agreement," said John Han, executive vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing.

The renewed agreement covers Qualcomm's cellular patents, not Apple's purchases of Qualcomm modem chips. Apple can therefore use its own modem while continuing to license Qualcomm's patented cellular technologies. That allows Apple to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm hardware without ending its licensing relationship with the company.

In the current lineup, the iPhone 18 Pro uses the C2 modem worldwide, while the Pro Max uses Apple's modem everywhere except the United States. A teardown of the U.S. model found Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80. The foldable iPhone Duo also uses the C2, leaving the U.S. Pro Max as the remaining third-party-modem model in Apple's current flagship range.

Qualcomm previously warned that Apple-related modem revenue would decline faster than expected as Apple's in-house modems spread, revising an outlook that had assumed it would retain around 20% modem share. Royalties under the previous patent agreement were set to continue through at least March 2027.