iPhone SE 4 allegedly canceled, perhaps over Apple's 5G modem failures
Apple wanted to release an iPhone SE 4 in 2024 as a test bed for its in-house modem chip, but development failures may have led to the cancellation of the budget iPhone.
Starlight iPhone SE
The rumored iPhone SE 4 was expected to be released within a few years, and would resemble the iPhone XR. However, a new report casts doubt on the next iPhone SE making it through the production pipeline.
A new report from supply chain analyst and leaker Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple has canceled the iPhone SE 4 rather than just delayed it. The new iPhone SE was allegedly going to use Apple's in-house baseband chip first, but now Qualcomm will likely continue to be Apple's sole supplier.
Apple has been reportedly working on its own 5G modem, or baseband chip, for its iPhone lineup. It was meant to go in the iPhone 15, but failed to reach the necessary specs in time for consideration.
The iPhone SE 4 cancellation could be a direct result of a failure in Apple's modem development. Kuo says Apple was concerned that the in-house baseband chip would not be up to par with Qualcomm's.
Ultimately, it seems Qualcomm will be the 5G modem supplier for the next two generations of iPhone. Market consensus says otherwise, however, and expected Qualcomm to start losing orders to Apple by 2024.
It isn't clear why Apple would base the iPhone SE 4's development on the success of its in-house modem. The current iPhone SE is a popular product thanks to its low price and retention of the Home Button, so it seems Apple would benefit from having a refreshed budget option at some point.
Even if the iPhone SE 4 that looks like an iPhone XR might be canceled, a budget option could still be announced in the next few years. At the least, Apple could update the internal processor in the existing iPhone SE to keep a Touch ID model modern.
Read on AppleInsider
Starlight iPhone SE
The rumored iPhone SE 4 was expected to be released within a few years, and would resemble the iPhone XR. However, a new report casts doubt on the next iPhone SE making it through the production pipeline.
A new report from supply chain analyst and leaker Ming-Chi Kuo suggests Apple has canceled the iPhone SE 4 rather than just delayed it. The new iPhone SE was allegedly going to use Apple's in-house baseband chip first, but now Qualcomm will likely continue to be Apple's sole supplier.
Apple has been reportedly working on its own 5G modem, or baseband chip, for its iPhone lineup. It was meant to go in the iPhone 15, but failed to reach the necessary specs in time for consideration.
The iPhone SE 4 cancellation could be a direct result of a failure in Apple's modem development. Kuo says Apple was concerned that the in-house baseband chip would not be up to par with Qualcomm's.
[Update] Qualcomm is the biggest winner of Apple's cancelation of 2024 iPhone SE 4 / QualcommApple2024 iPhone SE 4https://t.co/5gSCGT7dAK
-- (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo)
Ultimately, it seems Qualcomm will be the 5G modem supplier for the next two generations of iPhone. Market consensus says otherwise, however, and expected Qualcomm to start losing orders to Apple by 2024.
It isn't clear why Apple would base the iPhone SE 4's development on the success of its in-house modem. The current iPhone SE is a popular product thanks to its low price and retention of the Home Button, so it seems Apple would benefit from having a refreshed budget option at some point.
Even if the iPhone SE 4 that looks like an iPhone XR might be canceled, a budget option could still be announced in the next few years. At the least, Apple could update the internal processor in the existing iPhone SE to keep a Touch ID model modern.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
i’d expect that to be about market analysis, not a component sourcing decision.
HOWEVER... Kuo doesn't actually say that issues with Apple's modem are the reason for the cancellation--this article directly connects the two in a way that Kuo doesn't support.
So that leaves us to consider why the iPhone SE revision for 2024 has been cancelled. Does it mean the SE 3 is the end of the line for that model or that the revision will come in a future model year, TBD? It makes no sense to me that Apple would abandon an iPhone price point that's a gateway into the Apple ecosystem. If there's one thing I'm sure Apple's data shows, it's that once buyers get into the ecosystem, they mostly don't leave. A "budget" priced iPhone would also be important for the international market, which is now the bulk of iPhone sales.
I could argue that in 2024, it would be difficult to improve on the SE in ways that would be meaningful to buyers of the lowest priced iPhone. The main reason to do it would be marketing it as "the new" iPhone SE 4. (Which is often reason enough to stay competitive.) OR... does Apple have something other than the SE in mind for its lowest priced iPhone? I dunno... the SE is such a solid phone, it's hard to imagine what that would be.
It took Apple 13 years to replace Intel if Apple wants to replace Qualcomm’s modem and if they’re working on it, Apple will just do whatever it takes no matter how long it takes. Rumors come up from time to time about Apple’s modem division. Most of the time it is to say/imply, that Apple is doomed or can’t innovate.
Qualcomm modems will be replaced it’s just a question of when so what if it takes time, Apple’s done it before.
No one was worried about Apple Pay, Apple Watch or iMessage when they were first introduced as a matter fact, most of the tech/analysts laughed them off, now that they became successful the laughing stopped but the crying ensued me too me too let me in…….
https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/1/22956593/mediatek-qualcomm-android-processor-smartphone-marketshare-united-states-dimensity