Dec 6 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) is preparing to launch its long-awaited series of

cellular modem chips next year, which will replace components from longtime partner Qualcomm ( QCOM )

, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

The iPhone maker is looking to ultimately overtake Qualcomm's ( QCOM ) technology by 2027, the report

said, citing people familiar with the matter.

Qualcomm ( QCOM ), a leading designer of modem chips that connect phones to mobile data networks, has

warned investors that Apple ( AAPL ) will eventually stop using its chips.

The chip designer has a deal to keep selling chips to Apple ( AAPL ) until at least 2026 and

investors are keen to see if Qualcomm's ( QCOM ) push into laptops and AI-powered data centers can

accelerate quickly enough to compensate for potential drops in revenue from Apple ( AAPL ).

Apple's ( AAPL ) new component is set to feature in the iPhone SE, the company's entry-level

smartphone, which is scheduled for its first update since 2022 next year, the Bloomberg News

report said, adding that it will be followed by further generations of increasingly advanced

chips.

Qualcomm ( QCOM ) did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment, while Apple ( AAPL ) declined

to comment.

The iPhone maker has been working on its own modem technology and spent $1 billion to buy

Intel's ( INTC ) modem unit in 2019.

In early 2019, Reuters reported that Apple ( AAPL ) moved its modem engineering efforts into the same

chip design unit that makes the custom processors for its devices, signaling a doubling down on

the pursuit of self-designed modem chip.

Last year, Apple ( AAPL ) signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with chipmaker Broadcom ( AVGO ) to

develop 5G radio frequency components.

Such a deal could hurt companies such as Skyworks Solutions ( SWKS ) and Qorvo ( QRVO ), both

of which are Apple ( AAPL ) suppliers.