Now that the iPhone 16 launch is in our rearview mirror, we can start looking at the models coming in 2025. And first up is what is shaping up to be a very exciting update to the cheapest iPhone–it could include a major new component Apple has been working on for more than five years.
According to 9to5Mac, the 4th-gen iPhone SE will feature Apple’s first homegrown 5G modem, codenamed Centauri. The report claims the chip will also handle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS and will be the first iPhone modem that isn’t made by Qualcomm. Apple has had plans to release its own 5G modem since at least 2019, when it purchased Intel’s smartphone modem division, including some 2,200 employees as well as intellectual property, equipment, and leases.
A switch to its own modem could be a game-changer for Apple. As well as the obvious cost savings, the 5G modem plays one of the biggest roles in battery life and efficiency, and control over the development could dramatically increase battery efficiency.
The modem will likely only connect to the sub-6GHz networks like the current iPhone SE. The iPhone 16 models in the U.S. also connect to higher-speed mmWave networks for faster Wi-FI-like speeds, so if Apple uses its own modem in those phones, it will likely support that technology. Most rumors claim that probably wouldn’t happen until the iPhone 18.
Elsewhere in the report, 9to5Mac’s source claims the iPhone SE will have the same A18 processor and 48MP wide camera as the iPhone 16, though won’t have a second ultrawide camera. As previously reported, it will have a design similar to the iPhone 14, with a notch for Face ID and a 6.1-inch OLED display.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone SE 4 in spring 2025. Learn more about the upcoming iPhone SE.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.