iPhone SE 4 to feature Apple’s first 5G modem, A18 chip, more

Apple has been working on a new generation of the iPhone SE, and a recent Bloomberg report revealed that it should be introduced sometime next year. 9to5Mac’s reliable sources, who also told us precise details about the iPhone 16 in advance, have now told us more about what to expect from the iPhone SE 4.

New details on the iPhone SE 4

While the current generation iPhone SE looks like an iPhone 8, the new model will have a more modern look, similar to an iPhone 14. This includes flat sides and an OLED panel with a notch at the top. Our sources confirm that the iPhone SE 4, codenamed V59, will have the same 1170 x 2532 display resolution as the 6.1-inch iPhone 14.

Apple will also bring Face ID to the iPhone SE 4, putting an end to the Home Button with Touch ID on the iPhone. However, the Dynamic Island will remain exclusive to the more premium models.

Previous reports suggest that Apple wants to make the new SE compatible with Apple Intelligence features, and our sources say that this will be possible thanks to the A18 chip with 8GB of RAM. Apple will use the same variant of its latest SoC used in the base iPhone 16, with a 5-core GPU.

When it comes to the camera, the iPhone SE 4 will have the same 48MP wide camera and 12MP front camera as the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. However, we’ve heard that the new SE won’t have ultra-wide or telephoto lenses. Apple will likely take advantage of the 48MP sensor to say that the new SE is capable of taking photos with 2x “optical” zoom.

Apple’s first 5G modem

But surely one of the main highlights of the iPhone SE 4 will be Apple’s first 5G modem. The company acquired Intel’s modem division in 2019 in an attempt to dispose of Qualcomm’s modems, but multiple reports suggest that the prototype modems developed by Apple have suffered multiple failures.

But it seems that Apple is confident of finally getting its first 5G modem into the hands of a lot of people. 9to5Mac’s sources say that the V59 is equipped with a wireless modem designed by Apple. Codenamed “Centauri,” the modem is quite ambitious and will also handle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

While Apple will certainly benefit in terms of money from having its own modem, the company will also use it to improve the integration between hardware and software. 9to5Mac has learnt that the new modem will drastically reduce battery consumption, especially when users switch on Low Power Mode on the iPhone.

Although Apple’s plan is to bring its own modem to all its devices in the future, the company chose to put it in the iPhone SE 4 first as a sort of experiment.

iPhone SE 4 coming in spring 2025

Similar to what has already been said by other sources, we’ve heard that the iPhone SE 4 will be announced in spring 2025. While the current iPhone SE starts at $429, analysts believe that the next generation will be more expensive, potentially costing between $459 and $499.