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Apple's latest iPhone features may be quietly released next week.

2025/2/7 23:40:03

Apple will announce the new iPhone SE next week, featuring its first self-designed 5G modem chip. While a significant achievement for Apple's control over its tech stack, this new modem is expected to be relatively understated at launch due to its initial technical limitations compared to Qualcomm's offerings. The focus will likely remain on the flagship iPhone 17 series launching later this year, which will continue to utilize Qualcomm's modems. Apple is anticipated to highlight its self-designed modem more prominently next year when a more advanced version is integrated into all new iPhones.

Apple's latest iPhone features may be quietly released next week.

Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone SE next week, and its feature list looks convincing. But like previous SE models, almost all of the new iPhone's technology has been seen before. There's one new feature—it's likely to be overlooked. Here's why.

The iPhone SE 4 Will Show Apple's Determination to Control the Entire Tech Stack

Apple is known for controlling its entire tech stack.

The company builds hardware, software, and services to create a seamless experience together.

On the hardware side, Apple designs its own chips instead of outsourcing production. This has been the practice for iPhones and iPads for a long time, but only started being applied to Macs in 2020—and Macs have benefited greatly from this.

For years, Apple has been trying to internalize its cellular modem hardware.

Currently, Qualcomm produces all 5G baseband chips for Apple's iPhones and iPads.

But starting with the new iPhone SE 4, Apple's long-awaited self-developed baseband project will finally be released.

The new iPhone SE will be the first Apple device equipped with a self-designed 5G chip.

Although Apple has finally completed its long-term project, it is unlikely to focus too much on this new feature.

Why Will the New 5G Modem Be Low-Key?

Mobile connectivity is a necessary attribute for any iPhone.

While Apple will undoubtedly celebrate its major achievement of replacing Qualcomm in the latest iPhone—this is just the first step in a new journey.

Mark Gurman reports that Apple is actually developing three internal cellular chips:

The first 5G modem, which supports up to 2025, does not support millimeter wave, has a download speed lower than Qualcomm's, and uses four operator aggregation instead of six operator aggregation.
However, by 2026, the second modem should offer functionality comparable to Qualcomm.
By 2027, Apple expects its performance to surpass Qualcomm.

Apple will almost certainly mention its own baseband at the iPhone SE 4 launch event, but if it's not just a passing remark, I would be very surprised.

Why?

Because the new modem will technically be inferior to the one in the iPhone 16 flagship model.

Even if Apple can offset these shortcomings through its own special optimizations, we shouldn't focus too much on this point.

The reason is: The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, which will be released in autumn this year, will not be equipped with Apple's new baseband, but will continue to use Qualcomm products.

Apple Won't Use the Entry-Level iPhone SE to Steal the Spotlight from the Flagship iPhone 17 Pro

If Apple focuses heavily on its new baseband at the new product launch event and spends a lot of time emphasizing its advantages, then the iPhone 17, which will be released in September, may be embarrassing. Because the most expensive model will not include this cutting-edge technology.

For these reasons and others, I expect Apple to acknowledge the new 5G modem in the iPhone SE 4, but not celebrate too early.

Next year, when the second-generation modem is released and included in all new iPhones, and has more advanced features—that's when I'll expect Apple to explain the greatness of its modem to us.

Do you think Apple will pay much attention to the new modem in the iPhone SE 4? Why? Let us know in the comments.