Apple is anticipated to unveil its latest iPhone SE next week, and the features appear quite appealing. However, similar to past SE iterations, most of the technology in the new iPhone is not entirely new. The exception is one particular feature that is likely to go unnoticed. Here’s why.
iPhone SE 4 Will Highlight Apple’s Commitment to a Complete Tech Stack
Apple has always aimed to maintain control over its entire technology stack.
The company develops its own hardware, software, and services to ensure a unified user experience.
Specifically regarding hardware, Apple designs its chips rather than outsourcing them. This approach has been standard for iPhones and iPads for years, but only began for Macs in 2020—resulting in significant benefits for Macs.
For years, Apple has aimed to develop its own cellular modems as well.
Currently, Qualcomm produces all of Apple’s 5G modems for the iPhone and iPad.
However, starting with the upcoming iPhone SE 4, the long-term initiative to create an Apple-designed modem will finally come to fruition.
The new iPhone SE will mark the first Apple device equipped with an in-house 5G chip.
Yet, despite this significant achievement, Apple is not expected to heavily promote this new capability.
Why the New 5G Modem May Not Attract Much Attention
Cellular connectivity remains a vital feature for any iPhone.
Therefore, while Apple will certainly recognize its achievement in eliminating Qualcomm from its newest device, this represents merely the first step into a broader landscape.
Mark Gurman has indicated that Apple is currently developing three in-house cellular chips:
- For 2025, the first 5G modem will lack mmWave support, offer lower download speeds compared to Qualcomm’s, and feature four-carrier aggregation instead of six.
- In 2026, a second modem is expected to match Qualcomm’s capabilities.
- By 2027, Apple plans to exceed Qualcomm’s performance benchmarks.
It’s almost certain that Apple will mention its in-house modem during the iPhone SE 4 announcement, but if it gets more than a brief mention, I would be surprised.
Why?
Because the new modem will technically fall short compared to those in the iPhone 16 flagship models.
Even if Apple manages to mitigate these limitations with its optimizations, there remains another significant reason to downplay this announcement.
That reason is that this fall’s iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will not feature Apple’s new modem; they will continue using Qualcomm’s technology.
Apple Will Not Detract from Its Flagship iPhone 17 Pro With the Budget iPhone SE
If Apple emphasizes its new in-house modem’s launch and extensively showcases its advantages, it could lead to an awkward situation during the iPhone 17 launch in September, where the premium models lack this innovative tech.
For these reasons and more, I believe Apple will mention the new 5G modem in the iPhone SE 4, but won’t make a big deal out of it just yet.
Next year, when the second-generation modem arrives integrated with all new iPhones boasting advanced features, expect Apple to properly highlight its accomplishments.
Do you think Apple will highlight its new modem in the iPhone SE 4? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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