After months of leaks and speculation, Apple is set to announce its fourth-generation iPhone SE later this week. The new version of Apple’s budget iPhone will feature several innovative updates, including the addition of an OLED display and Face ID—two firsts for the iPhone SE series.
One of the most significant changes in the iPhone SE 4 is the inclusion of Apple’s first-ever in-house 5G modem, which will be manufactured by TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company). This marks a major shift in strategy, as Apple has traditionally relied on external chipmakers like Intel and Qualcomm for 5G modems.
This move is part of Apple’s broader goal to become more self-reliant in terms of hardware components, reducing its dependence on external suppliers and bringing more components in-house. However, industry reports indicate that Apple’s first-generation modem may not be as powerful or efficient as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75.
A report from South Korea has shed light on the performance differences between Apple’s in-house modem and Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon X75. According to the report:
- Apple’s first-gen modem will lack support for mmWave 5G, a higher-speed version of 5G capable of faster upload and download speeds.
- The modem may also offer fewer carrier aggregation features, which could affect network speed and overall performance compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75.
This means the iPhone SE 4 could offer slower data speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, which will feature Qualcomm’s more advanced modem.
The iPhone SE 4 will serve as a testing ground for Apple’s self-developed modem, and it is expected to feature some important characteristics, such as Dual SIM Dual Standby and deep integration with Apple-designed processors. These features will likely help improve battery life and overall system efficiency, despite the modem’s lower performance compared to Qualcomm’s offerings.