Apple's new budget phone - the iPhone SE 4 - will follow the iPhone SE 3 after 3 years and is expected to go into mass production from December. It will have the same design as the iPhone 14, removing the traditional design of the SE line for the first time. This will also be the first time many new technologies will be launched on a non-flagship iPhone.
While Qualcomm remains in Apple’s 5G modem supply chain until March 2027, the Cupertino giant is wasting no time in getting its in-house design up and running. According to a research note from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu spotted by MacRumors, the iPhone SE 4 will be the first to feature an in-house baseband chip, marking Apple’s introduction of a full-fledged 5G modem.
An earlier estimate from TD Cowen revealed that Qualcomm’s 5G modem costs $28, meaning that if Apple sells 90 million iPhone 16s in 2024, the San Diego chipset maker will pocket $2.52 billion. By launching its own 5G modem, Apple will have to pay its partner significantly less while also reducing component costs. With the iPhone SE 4, the company needs to be even more careful about pricing, and the best way to do that is to remove Qualcomm’s 5G modem from the hardware list.
iPhone SE 4 is expected to have the same design as iPhone 14. (Photo: Yanko)
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, Johny Srouji, has previously stated that the company is interested in developing a custom mobile chip.
As for the benefits this solution would bring, one report says that an in-house 5G modem wouldn’t change the user experience and they wouldn’t even care about the new component. Another advantage is that Apple would have more control over the hardware and software, which could lead to better battery life and less dependence on Qualcomm.
The next iPhone SE is expected to use Face ID instead of the Touch ID home button. With the iPhone 15 series, Apple switched to USB-C instead of Lightning, and the iPhone SE 4 is also expected to include a USB-C port. While the iPhone 14 has a dual-lens camera, the iPhone SE 4 will include a single-lens camera to keep costs down, but may feature the 48MP sensor used in the iPhone 15.
The iPhone SE 4 is expected to feature the same A18 chip as in the iPhone 16, providing the power to support Apple Intelligence features.
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