iPhone SE 4 First to Get Apple-Designed 5G Modem, iPhone 17 Pro to Add Custom Wi-Fi 7 Chip

The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out early next year is expected to debut Apple's first in-house 5G modem, according to Jeff Pu, an analyst who covers companies within Apple's supply chain.

Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1
In a research note this week with Hong Kong-based investment firm Haitong International Securities, Pu said Apple is expected to roll out its custom-made 5G modem starting with the next-generation iPhone SE 4. Apple's in-house modem will then be joined by a secondary Apple-made Wi-Fi 7 chip in the iPhone 17 Pro in the second half of 2025.

Pu has previously said that iPhone 17 Pro models in 2025 will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip, which matches his latest expectations for adoption. Pu believes that both custom modem and Wi-Fi 7 chips will achieve majority adoption in iPhones by 2027.

Pu's forecast also tallies with predictions recently made by Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. On Thursday, Kuo said that at least one iPhone 17 model launching next year will be equipped with an Apple-designed Wi-Fi 7 chip. Kuo also expects Apple's 5G modem to be used in the rumored ultra-thin iPhone 17 model.

Kuo believes that Apple's 5G and Wi-Fi chips are currently two different chips that will gradually be used in new products simultaneously starting in the second half of 2025. The early switch-over timelines will differ due to separate production schedules, according to Kuo. As Pu also suggests, the iPhone SE 4 will move to an Apple 5G modem but still use a Broadcom Wi-Fi chip.

Apple's shift to develop its own modem and Wi-Fi chip technology would be a significant strategic move. Currently, Apple relies on Qualcomm to supply its modems, and Broadcom for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth components. For example, all four iPhone 16 models already support Wi-Fi 7 with Broadcom's chip, but with some limited specifications. By creating its own equivalents, Apple aims to reduce dependency on third-parties, gain more control over the technology, and potentially lower costs in the long run.

The fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to have a similar design as the base iPhone 14, with rumored features including a 6.1-inch OLED display, Face ID, a newer A-series chip, a USB-C port, a single 48-megapixel rear camera, 8GB of RAM to enable Apple Intelligence support, and of course the first-ever Apple-designed 5G modem. The new iPhone SE is expected to be released in the first half of 2025, with a launch in March or April most likely.

Related Roundups: iPhone 17, iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

M4 Mac mini Ortho Silver Cooler

Amazon Leaks Smaller Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, Up to 64GB of RAM, and More

Monday October 28, 2024 7:16 pm PDT by
Amazon has seemingly leaked the rumored next-generation Mac mini ahead of Apple's announcement this week, revealing several details. Our concept of a smaller Mac mini According to a comparison chart on Amazon's product listing for the new iMac, the new Mac mini will be available with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, with up to a 14-core CPU and up to a 20-core GPU. In addition, the chart indicates ...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces Redesigned Mac Mini With M4 and M4 Pro Chips, Two Front USB-C Ports, and More

Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced fully redesigned Mac mini models featuring the M4 and M4 Pro chips, a considerably smaller casing, two front-facing USB-C ports, Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, and more. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The product refresh marks the first time the Mac mini has been redesigned in over a decade. The enclosure now measures just five by five inches...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 Cinema 4D Slack Finder Xcode 1

Apple Announces MacBook Pro Models With M4 Pro and M4 Max Chips, Thunderbolt 5 Support, and More

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:01 am PDT by
Apple today announced new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models featuring M4 Pro and M4 Max chips, alongside a new entry-level 14-inch MacBook Pro powered by the M4 chip. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new M4 Pro and M4 Max machines come with a minimum of 24GB of Unified Memory as standard, up from 18GB in the previous models. Both models feature three...
m3 macbook air blue

Apple Announces MacBook Air Now Starts With Increased 16GB of RAM With No Price Increase

Wednesday October 30, 2024 8:04 am PDT by
Apple today in its new MacBook Pro press release announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously. This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip, the 13-inch model with the M3 chip, and the 15-inch model with the M3 chip. In the U.S., the MacBook Air lineup continues to start at $999, so there is no price increase associated with the...
m3 mbp space black

Apple Leaks M4 Max Chip Icon Ahead of Announcing New MacBook Pros

Tuesday October 29, 2024 8:48 am PDT by
Oops! Eagle-eyed developer Charlie Joseph today discovered that Apple has leaked its upcoming high-end M4 Max chip through an image uploaded to its website. The discovery was shared with Bloomberg's Mark Gurman on social media. It was already pretty obvious that Apple plans to announce new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M4, M4 Pro, and M4 Max chips this week, after Apple promised...
iOS 18

iOS 18.1: What You Get If You Don't Have an iPhone With Apple Intelligence

Monday October 28, 2024 3:49 pm PDT by
iOS 18.1 is the first iOS 18 update with Apple Intelligence capabilities, and that's what a lot of the coverage about the new software has focused on. If you don't have an iPhone that's capable of Apple Intelligence, you're probably wondering just what's in the update for you. While Apple Intelligence does make up the bulk of what's new, if you have an older device, you still get some solid...
watchOS 11 Thumb 2 1

Apple Releases watchOS 11.1

Monday October 28, 2024 8:05 am PDT by
Apple today released watchOS 11.1, the first major update to the operating system that runs on the Apple Watch. watchOS 11.1 comes one month after Apple released watchOS 11. watchOS 11.1 is compatible with the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, all Apple Watch Ultra models, and the Apple Watch SE 2. watchOS 11.1 can be downloaded on an iPhone running iOS 18.1 by opening up the Apple Watch app...

Top Rated Comments

SmugMaverick Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:39 am
I mean great for Apple but we won't see a price decrease due to them saving from buying from Qualcomm etc etc.

Let's just hope its not utter GARBAGE.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dulcimer Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:10 am
iPhone Signal Eviscerated 4

Hopefully Apple will save us all time and money and just integrate the bumper case into the design.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jb310 Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:10 am

The new iPhone SE is expected to be released in the first half of 2025, with a launch in March or April most likely.
Looks like I know when I'll be upgrading from my iPhone 11. ?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fuzzball84 Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:17 am
Interesting… I have a feeling my next iPhone will be the SE ?

Too many of the premium features of more expensive iPhones I just don’t use enough to justify paying the increased cost. And with the SE I still get Apple build quality and support.

In fact, had I not been able to get an iPhone mini I think I’d have the current SE. that form factor is just so good to slip in your pocket, a small compartment in a bag and hold to your ear for phone calls. It’s so underrated. The only downside is the battery runtime but hopefully the next iPhone improves that dramatically.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMac The Knife Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:43 am
Good call Apple. It is better to beta test the new modem in the SE, instead of putting it in a real iPhone right out of the gate. I kid, I kid.?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iMac The Knife Avatar
2 hours ago at 04:49 am

Wow. Going to be a complete Apple produced iPhone from soup to nuts.
No, it's not. Unless something has changed that I've missed, Apple isn't making the screens, among other things.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)