Why Apple Might Be Headed for Another Antennagate

It’s a bit early to be offering predictions for 2025, but here goes anyway. Chances are very good that sometime next year we’re going to hear a bunch of complaints about newly released Apple iPhones dropping calls more often than previous models did. In other words, we’re in for a repeat of the “Antennagate” brouhaha of 2010, when similar connectivity issues on the new iPhone 4 became a big story.

Assuming it happens, Apple executives won’t be able to pretend they’re surprised. The tech giant is tempting fate with its reported plans to use a modem of its own design in some of next year’s models, including the updated iPhone SE and the upcoming thin iPhone. That modem would replace those from Qualcomm, which sets the industry standard for good cellular modems.