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iPhone SE 4 will have worse cellular coverage but will also save Apple money

By Abdullah Asim

Published: Feb 15, 2025, 9:07 AM

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*Header image is referential and showcases the iPhone 14. | Image credit — PhoneArena

The upcoming iPhone SE 4 — or iPhone 16E if some reports are to be believed — is just around the corner. But in addition to being a modern revamp of the iPhone SE the phone will also feature an in-house cellular modem chip designed by Apple. This cellular modem will be tested out on the SE and potential buyers are likely about to get a phone with worse coverage than they’re used to.

A new report (translated source) from Korea alleges that Apple’s own modem will perform worse than the Qualcomm chips it has been using for years. These Qualcomm modems are also present in the iPhone 16 series as Apple didn’t want to risk degraded cellular performance on its flagships.

The iPhone SE 4 has people excited far more than the iPhone 16 seemed to last year. It represents an entry point into the modern iOS experience at a far more reasonable cost than its more premium counterparts. The iPhone SE 4 also sacrifices very little — namely camera quality and storage — in exchange for a good looking phone that also supports Apple intelligence.

Renowned analyst Ming-chi Kuo expects the iPhone SE 4 to sell very well due to the improvements it’s bringing over its outdated predecessor. Which means that many people are likely going to upgrade from their older flagship iPhone to the SE 4. And that means that these users will be subject to worse cellular coverage than they’re used to.

The iPhone 16 has been considered a very boring upgrade by some. | Video credit — Apple

Why Apple wants to shift to its own cellular modems is quite simple: a reduction in manufacturing costs by avoiding licensing fees. Using its own modems will also allow the company to better optimize its hardware and software synergy much like with Apple silicon chips.

However Apple has been known to run into problems with its modem design. Though the chip that will be used in the iPhone SE 4 is a working product it will nevertheless be an inferior substitute as Apple works out the kinks.

I do believe that the company will perfect its own modem one day in the near future. We might even see a better version of this chip debuting across the iPhone 17 lineup. But iPhone SE 4 users will have to make do with subpar performance unfortunately.

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Abdullah loves smartphones, Virtual Reality, and audio gear. Though he covers a wide range of news his favorite is always when he gets to talk about the newest VR venture or when Apple sets the industry ablaze with another phenomenal release.

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