Apple is widely expected to launch the new iPhone SE on February 19, 2025. The fourth-generation model is in line for some “big” upgrades packing technology never seen before on any iPhone SE. One of them, in fact, would be an Apple-first if true. We’re talking about the iPhone SE 4’s cellular modem.
Traditionally, Apple has relied on third-party partners like Intel and Qualcomm for iPhone modems. But it’s long been known that Cupertino has its eyes set on stopping this “outsourcing” and instead launch iPhones with its own modems. The upcoming iPhone SE is getting the first dibs at it, if multiple reports are anything to go by.
A new report coming in from South Korea corroborates this speculation only hours before launch seemingly confirming another key nugget. While the iPhone SE 4 will indeed ship with Apple’s own modem, don’t expect it to be coming in all guns blazing. Apparently, the one big difference between “this” modem and the Snapdragon X75 inside the iPhone 16 series is the lack of support for Millimetre wave (mmWave) 5G. It will reportedly only support Sub-6.
This means that the new iPhone SE, or iPhone SE 4, or iPhone SE 2025, or iPhone 16E, or whatever Apple decides to call it, will offer slower upload and download speeds. For those keeping track, this should hardly come as a surprise. The iPhone SE 3, too, only had support for Sub-6, so it’s not necessarily a downgrade. But what this means is that people—preferably nerds and reviewers—won’t be able to get a hang of the full extent of Apple’s first modem’s technology. Apple will probably keep its true powers locked at this point, revealing the full capabilities only in September with the launch of the iPhone 16 series.
This is something that Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman has also previously reported so we’re only getting more credence to what is already known and being talked about on the internet.
Thankfully, we won’t have to wait for long to get more clarity on what’s coming as Apple gears to introduce “the newest member of the family” on February 19. Watch this space as we bring you all the big details from the launch.
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