New iPhone SE With Apple-Designed 5G Modem Said to Launch in 2025

Apple plans to release an iPhone SE with a custom-designed 5G modem in 2025, according to analyst Jeff Pu. In a research note with Haitong International Securities on Tuesday, he said the modem will be manufactured by Apple's chipmaking partner TSMC.

Apple iPhone SE 4 5G Modem 1
This information comes two months after analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple restarted development of a fourth-generation iPhone SE with a 6.1-inch OLED display and an Apple-designed 5G modem. He said the modem would be built with TSMC's 4nm process and support sub-6GHz bands only, meaning that mmWave would not be supported initially.

Kuo said mass production of the fourth-generation iPhone SE would begin in the first half of 2024, and Qualcomm's CEO also anticipated a 2024 timeframe for Apple's modem, but Pu believes the device's launch has been delayed until 2025.

The current iPhone SE was released in March 2022 and is equipped with Qualcomm's custom Snapdragon X57 chip for sub-6GHz 5G. The 4.7-inch device is Apple's last iPhone with a Home button and Touch ID, but Face ID is likely for the new model, as Kuo said the device will have a similar design as the standard iPhone 14 model.

Apple acquired the majority of Intel's smartphone modem business in 2019 in an effort to design its own iPhone modem, a move that would reduce its dependence on Qualcomm. It's unclear if Apple's modem will offer any customer-facing benefits compared to Qualcomm's modems, such as faster 5G performance or improved power efficiency.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Early Black Friday Deals 1

The Best Early Black Friday Apple Deals on AirPods, Apple Watch, iPad, and More

Saturday November 8, 2025 6:16 am PST by
We're officially in the month of Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When ...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday November 6, 2025 11:12 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the U.S., according to its website. Maximum values for most devices either decreased or saw no change, but the iPad Air received a slight bump. ...
All Screen iPhone 2027 Feature 1

Apple to Hide Selfie Camera Under Display of 20th Anniversary iPhone

Monday November 10, 2025 1:55 am PST by
Apple will conceal the front-facing camera under the screen of its 2027 iPhone, a Chinese leaker said today, corroborating reports that Apple's 20th anniversary iPhone will have no visible cutouts in the display. Weibo-based account Digital Chat Station said Apple's development of under-screen camera technology was progressing as planned for adoption in 2027, one year after it will...
Apple fitness plus feature

Future of Apple Fitness+ 'Under Review'

Sunday November 9, 2025 5:30 am PST by
The future of Apple Fitness+ is "under review" amid a reorganization of the service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that Apple Fitness+ remains one of the company's "weakest digital offerings." The service apparently suffers from high churn and little revenue. Nevertheless, Fitness+ has a small, loyal fanbase that...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iphone air thinness

iPhone Air Sales Are So Bad That Apple's Delaying the Next-Generation Version

Monday November 10, 2025 11:41 am PST by
The thin, light iPhone Air sold so poorly that Apple has decided to delay the launch of the next-generation iPhone Air that was scheduled to come out alongside the iPhone 18 Pro, reports The Information. Apple initially planned to release a new iPhone Air in fall 2026, but now that's not going to happen. Since the iPhone Air launched in September, there have been reports of poor sales...
Liquid Glass General Feature

Apple Shares Liquid Glass Design Gallery

Thursday November 6, 2025 2:45 pm PST by
Apple is promoting the new Liquid Glass design in iOS 26, showing off the ways that third-party developers are embracing the aesthetic in their apps. On its developer website, Apple is featuring a visual gallery that demonstrates how "teams of all sizes" are creating Liquid Glass experiences. The gallery features examples of Liquid Glass in apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. Apple...
iOS 26

iOS 26.1 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday November 3, 2025 5:54 am PST by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple released iOS 26.1 on Monday, November 3. The update includes a handful of new features and changes, including the ability to adjust the look of Liquid Glass and more. Below, we outline iOS 26.1's key new features. Liquid Glass Toggle iOS 26.1 lets you choose your preferred look for Liquid Glass. In the Settings app, under Display...
iPhone Satellite Feature

Apple Developing These 5 New Satellite Features for iPhone

Sunday November 9, 2025 6:07 am PST by
Apple is working on a series of new satellite connectivity features for the iPhone, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. In this week's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman revealed that the new features in development include: Apple Maps via satellite: Navigation in Apple Maps without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity. Photos in Messages via satellite: Support for sending photos in the Messages...
maxresdefault

In-Depth iPhone Battery Experiment Pits Slow Charging Against Fast Charging

Friday November 7, 2025 1:19 pm PST by
HTX Studio this week shared the results from a six-month battery test that compared how fast charging and slow charging can affect battery life over time. Using six iPhone 12 models, the channel set up a system to drain the batteries from five percent and charge them to 100 percent over and over again. Three were fast charged, and three were slow charged. Another set of iPhones underwent...

Top Rated Comments

TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
34 months ago
Not going to lie the Original iPhone SE (1st Generation) was a pure act of masterpiece. ?



Attachment Image
Score: 44 Votes (Like | Disagree)
winxmac Avatar
34 months ago

Can we have an Apple-Designed 5G Modem on the iPhone Mini, please?
Can we have an iPhone Mini again please? Or bring back the iPhone 5/5s/SE 2016 form factor? Also, I would also like to have the iPhone 5c form factor make a comeback...
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
34 months ago
Can we have an Apple-Designed 5G Modem on the iPhone Mini, please?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nutmac Avatar
34 months ago

Not going to lie the Original iPhone SE (1st Generation) was a pure act of masterpiece. ?
While I have fondness for iPhone 4/4S and 5/5S/SE 1, I think iPhone 1 2/13 mini is the pinnacle of Apple's one-handed phone. Too bad it's likely not coming back.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wokis Avatar
34 months ago

Too bad this isn't going to use a Mini-shell. Seems pointless as is compared to a used Pro.
I'm holding out for the same hope, that they'll remake the Mini's innards with an SE-refresh down the line.

It feels somewhat discouraging that no rumours to my knowledge go in that direction.

I'd say RIP iPhone Mini, but want to recall how the iPad mini was even rumoured to be removed back in ~2017 and look how that turned around!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
34 months ago
My brother has the current iPhone SE and he loves it. Despite what others might say, there is a market for these more affordable iPhones. Not everyone needs all the bells and whistles. Apple should try to get it down to the 299 price point though. For all its features, $430 is really high.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)