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

[jlc1978]

Modems and GPUs are two very different things. If they were easy to do, Intel wouldn't have crashed and burned (and caused apple to move away from them years ago). They then bought those same engineers and its been what almost a decade and they may finally have their own 5G modem? (which most likely will not come close to matching Qualcomm).

Hard to say until we see them in the wild. One advantage Apple has is they control the entire hardware and software used, so they can design it as part of a known setup, and not as an add-on that may need to work with various designs.

I don’t disagree, but by making the SE the same size as their other devices they are taking away the opportunity for an upsell, that’s all I was saying. The SE that all the rumors are pointing to will cannibalize sales of everything but the Pros and lower the average selling price of the iPhone. Good for consumers, bad for Apple shareholders 🤷‍♂️

It all depends on he sales mix. The flip side is it may bring people to upgrade older phones, as well as new buyers who may want an iPhone, but found current prices to high, adding marginal revenue. If that offsets or exceeds any lost revenue due to consumers opting for lower priced phone, and keeps the same or greater margins, it's a win for Apple and its shareholders.

 

[geta]

I wish they would also make an SE 4 Mini based on the Mini 13...

 

[UltimaKilo]

Apple might have something special here in the medium term. 2027 could user in some really, really efficient iPhones with 24h battery.

 

[Fred Zed]

Seems like a beta test to see if everything works, especially internationally. The irony is that people interested in a "budget" iPhone probably don't even have a 5G mobile plan, at least over here.

Apples on a beta test roll this season .. up and coming iPhone SE , iPhone 16 and iOS 18.x with Ai. Amazing 😂

 

[Mike_Trivisonno]

Now if we could get them to design a mouse that people will use....

 

[MNWildFan]

Apple desperately needs a credible mid range phone - even if it will likely be premium priced midrange.

For real!

I mean, Google has been doing this for years now with their A series devices, so now their lineup has the A series of devices, the regular Pixels, and then the Pixel Pros

 

[dave559]

A <6.1" iPhone can by definition not have the best battery life and the biggest and brightest display due to size constraints.

You don't need a (much) taller or «shudders» wider phone (awkward to hold and grasp for many of us with smaller hands) to have better battery life, all you need to do is make the phone a few mm thicker!

"Thinnest iPhone ever" really is such a complete yawn, and a nonsensical target to aim for, especially since most of us then immediately put our phones in protective cases. I'd much rather have a slightly thicker phone, making it sturdier, and with the extra space taken up by extra battery. A win all round.

 

[seanmcbay]

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

I wish they would. I’m giving myself one more year with my 13 Mini.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I wish they would. I’m giving myself one more year with my 13 Mini.

Unlike the iPad Mini 7, which I think needs some spec upgrades beyond the processor, I'd be more than happy for a revised iPhone Mini that changed nothing but the internals

Ideally some kind of newer and more efficient chip, as the battery life on the 13 Mini was only passable even when brand new. Now my battery drains like a bathtub with an 8" drain hole

 

[Chrystal Ocean]

This can't happen soon enough for me. My iPhone 8's battery is on its last legs and all the other iPhone models are beyond my means. March, hurry up!

 

[coolfactor]

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

For a hand-held device, I agree with you entirely. However, our digital world has evolved to a point where small screens just don't do justice. I held off upgrading my original SE because the size was perfect. However, I ultimately upgraded to a larger screen and find it hard to go back again. It's a tradeoff.

We already see Apple working on alternate solutions to the need for one-handed operation, such as the Camera Control button.

As long as the smallest screen available doesn't get too big, I think we don't need to go smaller again.

 

[coolfactor]

The next SE will likely be the next phone to replace my 13 Pro. I'm happy to be a beta tester of Apple's new 5G modem. 🤗

 

[coolfactor]

5g is pretty lightweight for a modem, historically speaking.

I had to read that twice to get it. 🤣

 

[kamyk35]

I'm very excited for this. Upgrading from the 15 Pro to the 16 Pro doubled my cellular speeds on average (in some areas more like triple!). I never expected that kind of difference without some wild new technology or switching providers. If Apple is engineering this thing as well as they do their other chips, it could be a beast in waiting.

Qualcomm modem actually controls the cellular on the iPhones at the moment 🤣

 

[kamyk35]

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.

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.

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

It sounds like a very good phone finally, I'm excited for my 10year old boy (currently on the 2nd generation SE), not so excited for my wallet though 🤣

 

[kamyk35]

ah ok, could be the year of no sims ;/ Not sure how this will work with networks in the UK for paygo customers

I'm pretty sure pay as you go users don't buy iPhones 🤣

 

[neliason]

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

I want a new phone but I don’t want a large phone. Apple likely isn’t getting any money from me for a phone until they offer a smaller one. I’m sure I’m not alone.

 

[torakaru]

It seems that Apple will use the poor iPhone SE users as guinea pigs to test this fresh new silicon. We'll see how it goes; doesn't sound suspicious that something so important for the company (key milestone if we look back how long it took) is introduced in the entry-level range,... unless even they have their own doubts about it

(Remember when they mounted 2 different modems in the past, with different performance and power efficiency, but where the user couldn't always choose: Intel and Qualcomm. Anyone remembers all the mess on iPhone X? )

 

[dan98]

I don't grasp why we need to keep discussing this fact on MR?

It doesn't matter how you look at it, or what new models any of us, as individuals, would like to see more of.

-As long as technology dictates that phone size and battery life are linked, we will keep seeing bigger and bigger smartphones.

Perhaps it keeps coming up because many people are quite annoyed by the way phones are so ridiculously massive now and the choice to have something more usable is being taken away from them.
By trying to prove that Apple will never bring out another small phone won't do anything to stop people complaining about how annoying it is.

I know that might be hard to grasp for those who just want ever bigger screens and endlessly increasing media consumption wherever they go, but some people don't need this crap on the move - they just want all the great core functionality of a modern smartphone without wishing to gawp brainlessly at it all day long.

The 12/13 mini were never going to sell particularly well because the SE was available in a similar size, was far cheaper and essentially did the same job.

What is strange, however, is why those who are happy with all this are trying to convince everyone else how wrong they are and that Apple shouldn't even consider catering for them. What on earth is the motive here?

 

[eatrains]

Clearly, the majority of phone users—iOS or Android—have no problem holding them.

If that were the case, PopSockets wouldn't exist. And people wouldn't be using "weird cases, bags, backpacks, purses, etc".

 

[antonrg]

Perhaps it keeps coming up because many people are quite annoyed by the way phones are so ridiculously massive now and the choice to have something more usable is being taken away from them.
By trying to prove that Apple will never bring out another small phone won't do anything to stop people complaining about how annoying it is.

I know that might be hard to grasp for those who just want ever bigger screens and endlessly increasing media consumption wherever they go, but some people don't need this crap on the move - they just want all the great core functionality of a modern smartphone without wishing to gawp brainlessly at it all day long.

The 12/13 mini were never going to sell particularly well because the SE was available in a similar size, was far cheaper and essentially did the same job.

What is strange, however, is why those who are happy with all this are trying to convince everyone else how wrong they are and that Apple shouldn't even consider catering for them. What on earth is the motive here?

This! I've never used a big phone, even though my family members use 11 and 14. I skipped every model and stuck to the 8 until I got the 13 mini. I used to update my iPhones every single year, until they started getting bigger. It's not that I cannot use a bigger phone, I just don't like it. I need my phone to be portable, do whatever I need it to do on the move and have a decent battery. iPhone 13 mini doesn't have a terrible battery. Do I wish the 13 mini had a slightly better battery? Yes! Am I ready to use a bigger phone just to get that battery? Absolutely not! Anyway, I hope with chip advancements Apple still delivers a small phone even if it's once every 3-4 years. I'm fine with that. And I honestly don't get some people who love big phones constantly trying to convince those who prefer a smaller form that we are sooo wrong and it will never happen again. It's bizarre to me.

 

[jlc1978]

What is strange, however, is why those who are happy with all this are trying to convince everyone else how wrong they are and that Apple shouldn't even consider catering for them. What on earth is the motive here?

Nothing is wrong with wanting a smaller phone.

However, unless it would sell enough to meet Apple’s revenue and margin targets, Apple should not make it.

 

[jouster]

If that were the case, PopSockets wouldn't exist. And people wouldn't be using "weird cases, bags, backpacks, purses, etc".

The fact that they sell so well shows that most have no issue with their size. It’s that simple. If they were too big for people to use, then the market would have ensured an ecosystem of small iPhones. But it hasn’t.

 

[geta]

The fact that they sell so well shows that most have no issue with their size. It’s that simple. If they were too big for people to use, then the market would have ensured an ecosystem of small iPhones. But it hasn’t.

The real fact is if someone wants a new phone they have no choice but to buy whatever they sell which is one of the big phones and even if they don't like it they’ll have to get used to it because there are no other options available. So basically they force people to use big phones.

 

[5167767]

The real fact is if someone wants a new phone they have no choice but to buy whatever they sell which is one of the big phones and even if they don't like it they’ll have to get used to it because there are no other options available. So basically they force people to use big phones.

Yeah, I agree. Usually android has larger phones anyways, so, those that are angry can’t go to the competition.