iPhone SE 4 Could Include A18 Chip, All-in-One Apple-Designed 5G Modem With Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS

The iPhone SE 4 that's set to come out next year could include a "quite ambitious" Apple-designed 5G modem that will incorporate Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The next-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ is also expected to get the same A18 chip as the current iPhone 16 models, which would allow it to support Apple Intelligence.

5G Modem Feature Blue
Apple has been working on its own 5G modem technology for quite some time, and multiple prior rumors have suggested that the new hardware will first come to the ‌iPhone SE‌, giving Apple a chance to test it out with a lower volume product.

The 5G chip, codenamed "Centauri," is said to be more than just a modem, alleviating the need for separate Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS components. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said earlier this year that while Apple was working on a modem that was part of a new wireless chip that also included Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, such a product would not be coming until a later date, so it is not clear which report is accurate.

It is Gurman's opinion that the first Apple-designed modem will not yield immediate improvements for users, and there won't be major benefits over Qualcomm modem technology. Over time, though, Apple plans to evolve its modem, more deeply integrating it into the iPhone's chipset.

Gurman has also said that the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will get Apple Intelligence, a claim echoed in 9to5Mac's report. The next-generation ‌iPhone SE‌ will reportedly include an A18 chip, which is the chip used in the ‌iPhone 16‌ and ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus. It is also expected to get 8GB RAM, the minimum for ‌Apple Intelligence‌.

Prior rumors have suggested the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will have a design similar to the iPhone 14, with a 6.1-inch OLED all-display design and support for Face ID. When Apple introduces the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4, it will officially be the end for the Touch ID fingerprint sensor in the ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

Though the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 will have an ‌iPhone‌ 14-like design, it is expected to have a single-lens rear camera. Apple could use the same 48-megapixel Wide camera that was used in the iPhone 15.

Other features that could come to the ‌iPhone SE‌ 4 include a notch for the TrueDepth camera system (instead of a Dynamic Island), an Action Button, and a USB-C port.

The ‌iPhone SE‌ is expected to be introduced in early 2025, and it will be priced between $400 and $500.

Related Roundup: iPhone SE
Buyer's Guide: iPhone SE (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

election results 2024 live activities

Track 2024 U.S. Election Results Live on Your iPhone Lock Screen

Tuesday November 5, 2024 5:02 am PST by
Apple News is providing Live Activities support for the 2024 U.S. presidential election, allowing iPhone and iPad users to track electoral results in real time directly from their Lock Screen. The feature is rolling out for U.S. users over the course of Election Day, November 5, providing continuous updates of the electoral count. So if you're interested, you don't need to repeatedly check...
ios 18 2 chatgpt plus

iOS 18.2 Beta 2 Shows Siri ChatGPT Limit, Offers 'Plus' Upgrade Option

Monday November 4, 2024 10:54 am PST by
With the second beta of iOS 18.2 that's available for developers today, Apple has further fleshed out the ChatGPT integration that's available with Siri. In the Settings app, there's now a section that shows the ChatGPT daily limit, and offers an option to upgrade to the paid ChatGPT Plus plan. The beta includes an Advanced Capabilities section with a "Daily Limit" reading that shows up as...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.2 Beta 2

Monday November 4, 2024 12:34 pm PST by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 updates to developers, and Apple is continuing to refine the Apple Intelligence capabilities. There are also a handful of smaller features that are worth knowing about. Find My Find My has a new option to Share Item Location with an "airline or trusted person" that can help you locate something that you've misplaced....
iCloud General Feature

Here's What's New in Apple's Updated iCloud Terms and Conditions Taking Effect Next Week

Friday September 13, 2024 7:39 am PDT by
Apple has started notifying users about an upcoming revision to its iCloud Terms and Conditions, which takes effect on Monday, September 16. We compared the text of the upcoming iCloud Terms and Conditions with the current U.S. version from September 18, 2023 and identified four key changes: "Apple ID" references have been changed to "Apple Account" throughout. iCloud users must agree to ...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

10 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Thursday October 31, 2024 9:42 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls incoming as well. ...
ipads early bf deals

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Tuesday November 5, 2024 7:02 am PST by
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but you can already find great prices on numerous iPads, including the 9th generation iPad, 10th generation iPad, iPad Air, and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running. Of course, there is a chance that ...
M4 M4 Pro vs M4 Max Feature

When to Expect New M4 MacBook Air, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro Models

Monday November 4, 2024 2:36 am PST by
Apple's fall 2024 Mac announcements have included new iMac, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro models, all of which debuted with variants of Apple's M4 chip. Apple intends to update the rest of its Mac lineup with M4 series processors over the next 12 months, which will make it the first time that Apple has used the same chip generation across all of its Macs. This means we can expect new M4...

Top Rated Comments

F23 Avatar
5 weeks ago
SE sounding like a massive upgrade all thanks to Apple Intelligence requiring it to be so. Might be a better value than the standard 16 line tbh.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Plutonius Avatar
5 weeks ago
My opinion only but I will not get a SE 4 due to its size.

It will never happen although I can only wish for a smaller phone with the latest tech.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JPack Avatar
5 weeks ago
Comes down to the price. If it’s really under $500, this will be a very competitive phone. Single rear 48MP and A18/8GB will make a lot of people consider this over the iPhone 16.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DEMinSoCAL Avatar
5 weeks ago
No way I'll be a guinea pig for a 1st generation Apple 5G modem! Historically, Apple is constantly screwing up WIFI and BT when they do updates. I'd be shocked if their first 5G chip offering was solid.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Chuckeee Avatar
5 weeks ago
Sounds like The Apple SE4 price is being partially subsidized since it’s a beta test platform for this new Apple 5G modem.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ipedro Avatar
5 weeks ago
I would not bet against Apple's silicon team, given how they've outpaced the industry as newcomers who surprised even Intel right out of the gate with the M1 chip.
It won't be easy to match Qualcomm without infringing on its patents but the major benefits will come from miniaturization and the efficiency of a self contained system on a chip.
A complete SoC will bring always-on connectivity to Apple Watch, iPad and Mac and enable the kind of miniaturization needed for Vision glasses.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)