Apple and Qualcomm are keeping their patent relationship alive, even as Apple steadily pulls more of its modem technology in-house.
Qualcomm said Thursday that Apple has renewed its global patent licensing agreement, with the new arrangement taking effect April 1, 2027. The company did not disclose how long the renewed agreement will last. For suppliers and channel partners tracking Apple’s hardware plans, the key distinction is that the patent license continues even as Apple uses more of its own modems.
“We are pleased to extend the Apple license agreement,” John Han, executive vice president and general manager of Qualcomm Technology Licensing, said in Qualcomm’s announcement.
The renewal extends a relationship that dates back to a 2019 settlement, when the companies ended a lengthy legal fight over wireless patent royalties and modem-chip supply. That agreement included a six-year global patent license beginning April 1, 2019, followed by a two-year extension that runs through March 31, 2027.
The modem relationship is changing
The licensing renewal does not mean Apple is reversing its push to reduce its dependence on Qualcomm’s modem hardware.
Apple has been moving toward its own cellular modems, beginning with the iPhone 16e in 2025. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s latest C2 modem is now used in most of the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, although the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a Qualcomm modem.
MacRumors likewise reported that the patent agreement is separate from Qualcomm’s modem-supply deal covering smartphone launches through 2026.
That distinction matters. Apple can increasingly build its own modem hardware while still paying Qualcomm for access to patented cellular technologies.
What Qualcomm gains from the renewal
For Qualcomm, the agreement preserves a licensing relationship with one of its most important customers at a time when its hardware business is facing changes.
Reuters reported on the importance of Qualcomm’s licensing business as Apple shifts to its own modems. Qualcomm’s June-quarter figures put licensing revenue at about $1.3 billion of $9.9 billion total, or roughly 13%. Separately, the company warned that revenue from Apple products would decline faster than expected as its modem share falls.
Bloomberg reported that Bernstein analyst Stacy Rasgon described the renewal as welcome but noted that Qualcomm’s announcement provided very little detail.
The financial value of the renewed agreement remains unclear. Bloomberg cited Rasgon’s estimate of roughly $7.50 per Apple phone for patent licensing. AppleInsider cited a separate $8-to-$9 estimate for devices equipped with Qualcomm modems. Neither figure is a disclosed term of the renewed agreement.
What partners should watch next
The renewal is unlikely to change anything immediately for iPhone owners. It covers patent licensing, not which modem Apple puts in a particular phone.
For partners assessing Qualcomm’s role in Apple’s supply chain, the figures to watch are future modem orders and licensing revenue separately. Apple could buy fewer Qualcomm chips while continuing to pay for its patents. Qualcomm has not disclosed the new license’s length or financial terms, so the renewal alone does not show how much revenue that relationship will preserve.