iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previous rumors, that timeframe suggests the new iPhone SE will be announced in March, just like the current model was in 2022.

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1
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 the previously-mentioned Apple-designed 5G modem.

Apple is rumored to have been working on its own 5G modem for iPhones since 2018, a move that will allow it to reduce and eventually eliminate its dependance on Qualcomm. Earlier this year, Apple extended its 5G modem supply agreement with Qualcomm for iPhone launches through 2026, so Apple still has plenty of time to complete the transition to its in-house modem. Along with the fourth-generation iPhone SE, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously said the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will have an Apple-designed 5G modem.

It is unclear if Apple's first 5G modem would unlock any consumer benefits compared to Qualcomm's modems, such as faster speeds.

In 2017, Apple sued Qualcomm over anticompetitive practices and $1 billion in unpaid royalty rebates. The two companies settled the lawsuit in 2019, and Apple acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business that same year. That purchase provided Apple with a portfolio of cellular-related patents to bolster its development. In another four months from now, it seems like we will finally see the fruit of this labor.

Apple announced the third-generation iPhone SE during an online event on March 8, 2022. The device looks similar to the iPhone 8, with outdated features such as a Touch ID button, Lightning port, and thick bezels around the display. In the U.S., the iPhone SE currently starts at $429, but the new model might see at least a slight price increase.

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Top Rated Comments

Sirious Avatar
22 weeks ago
They should bring back a mini model of the iPhone. I understand there might not be a need anymore in the world of large devices, but it was such a good size for so many getting their first iPhone!

Also I'm sure Apple can afford to keep a sku of a device that "doesn't sell enough" for those "just in case" people
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Klae17 Avatar
22 weeks ago
Can't wait for the vocal 0.001% to complain about the 5g modems in the budget iPhone.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Biro Avatar
22 weeks ago

They should bring back a mini model of the iPhone. I understand there might not be a need anymore in the world of large devices, but it was such a good size for so many getting their first iPhone!

Also I'm sure Apple can afford to keep a sku of a device that "doesn't sell enough" for those "just in case" people
Congratulations! We have a winner! An iPhone Mini thread hijacker on the first post!

P.S. You’re still not getting a new Mini.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
foobarbaz Avatar
22 weeks ago

That makes no business sense as it would simply eat into margins; it's better to focus on what is driving margins and revenue.
By that logic, they should cancel all products other than iPhones and services. None of them compare well to the best selling iPhone. Probably many didn’t even compare well to the mini.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scorpio vega Avatar
22 weeks ago

Clearly they don’t have a lot of confidence in it yet. Sneaking it in the cheapest iPhone mid-year.
It’s not about not having faith. All three of the SE launched mid year.

Original- march 21,2016
Second gen- April 24,2020
Current gen- march 18,2022

These conspiracy theories without doing any research are silly.

They wouldn’t launch it with the new iPhones because it will run the risk of being overshadowed by the newer ones and cannibalizing the sales of the base models.

So they announce it during the spring. It also makes sense becsuse this also keeps apple in the news until their next flagships.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jlc1978 Avatar
22 weeks ago

Also I'm sure Apple can afford to keep a sku of a device that "doesn't sell enough" for those "just in case" people
That makes no business sense as it would simply eat into margins; it's better to focus on what is driving margins and revenue.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)