Apple is recruiting an experienced engineer to work on its next generation of cellular modems, a sign that the company is preparing for the shift toward 6G wireless technology. The opening was reported by MacRumors and appeared in a new job listing published on October 19.
The position, titled 6G Cellular Modem Systems Engineer, carries a base salary range of $175,000 to $308,500 a year, along with stock awards and other benefits. According to the listing, the hire would join Apple's cellular systems engineering team as it defines and builds the next wave of cellular technology.
Apple describes the job as "a rare opportunity to shape the future of wireless communication" at a company that ships products at global scale. The role calls for an end-to-end view of wireless systems, covering 3GPP standards, feature definition and planning, design, and hardware and software architecture and partitioning. The goal is to deliver performance and power optimizations and features that directly improve the user experience across Apple products.
Responsibilities include defining features and requirements for future modems, designing algorithms that improve performance and power efficiency, and working with hardware and software teams to bring those technologies to market.
Applicants need a degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering or a related field, plus at least 10 years of industry experience with cellular technologies. Apple also requires a strong grasp of cellular communication standards and proficiency in MATLAB, C/C++ or Python.
One minimum qualification stands out: experience with generative AI and large language model-based tools "to accelerate engineering workflows." Among the preferred qualifications, Apple lists a record of published research or patents in wireless communications.
6G remains years away and is at an early stage, with companies and industry organizations still working to define what it will look like. The International Telecommunication Union has outlined potential peak speeds of up to 200 Gbps, compared with a theoretical maximum of 20 Gbps for 5G, along with research targets for latency as low as 0.1 milliseconds.
Artificial intelligence is expected to play a much larger role in 6G networks, helping them adjust automatically to changing conditions, optimize signal quality, manage traffic and cut power consumption.
The first official 6G technical specifications are expected to be finalized in late 2028, with commercial networks and compatible devices anticipated around 2030.
