As Apple is rumored to launch its first iPhone with in-house 5G modem next year, two manufacturers are anticipating to secure Apple’s orders, according to a new report by DigiTimes.

The report elaborates that ASE Technology and Amkor Technology are competing to secure orders for Apple’s modems final packaging stage. TSMC is still expected to manufacture the actual chips, whereas the final packaging stage is usually handled by a different supplier which is pegged to be one of the two aforementioned companies. Per the report, both companies already have experience in handling packaging for none other than Qualcomm’s modems.

Apple is now expected to begin transitioning away from Qualcomm’s modems starting with the rumored fourth-generation iPhone SE, projected to launch sometime in early 2024, in line with Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon’s remarks in MWC 2023. However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has warned that the transition won’t be fully complete for the next three years at the earliest.

The iPhone 15 lineup is said use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X70 modem, which has cellular speed and power efficiency improvements compared to the Snapdragon X65 powering the current iPhone 14 lineup.

The inclusion of Apple’s in-house modems in its flagship iPhone 16 lineup is not set in stone yet, as the company is reportedly struggling to overcome technical difficulties pertaining to mmWave and satellite connectivity.