Apple and Qualcomm have renewed their global patent licensing agreement, which will become effective on April 1, 2027. The length of the new agreement has not been disclosed by Qualcomm. It is important to note that this renewal pertains only to patent licensing and does not imply that Qualcomm will continue to supply cellular modems to future iPhones. The modem supply contract is a separate agreement from the patent licensing deal. Apple has been progressively reducing its reliance on Qualcomm’s modems. This trend is evident in recent products like the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo, which use Apple’s C2 modem globally. However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a Qualcomm chip in the United States, while other versions of the device use the C2 modem. Similarly, the latest cellular models of the iPad Pro and iPad Air use the previous generation of Apple’s modem, the C1X. The two companies had previously signed a patent licensing agreement in 2019, which was initially set to last six years with an optional two-year extension. This extension moved the original expiration date to March 31, 2027. Qualcomm has not specified the duration of the new extension. According to Reuters, a two-year extension had been planned, but no public details about its activation or the exact terms of the new agreement have been released. John Han, executive vice president and general manager of Qualcomm, stated, "We are pleased to extend the licensing agreement with Apple." The relationship between Apple and Qualcomm has a complex history, including past legal disputes before they reached the 2019 agreement. Despite the renewed patent agreement, Apple continues to pursue reducing its dependence on Qualcomm components.