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 The device looks similar to the iPhone 8, with outdated features such as a Touch ID button, Lightning port, and thick bezels around the display.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.
