Talk is cheap. Qualcomm got a 5G modem Apple hadn't been able to get around the patents. Apple will still need Qualcomm if they want their devices to have 5G.
Apple and Qualcomm have been partners for a long time, but the former appears intent on gradually moving away from Qualcomm as a chip supplier for Apple's iPhones and iPads over the next few years, as Bloomberg reveals in detail. Three Apple modem generations will be gradually implemented from the iPhone SE 2025 onwards and ultimately also in the Pro iPhones.