iPhone SE 4 With In-House 4nm 5G Chip, Bigger OLED Display Back in Development: Ming-Chi Kuo

Kuo had earlier said Apple is likely to "cancel or postpone the mass production plan for the 2024 iPhone SE 4."

Written by Sucharita Ganguly, Edited by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 28 February 2023 17:04 IST

iPhone SE 4 With In-House 4nm 5G Chip, Bigger OLED Display Back in Development: Ming-Chi Kuo

Photo Credit: Apple

Apple launched the iPhone SE (2022) (pictured) in March last year

Highlights

iPhone SE 4 is said resemble the iPhone XR
The phone could feature an OLED display instead of an LCD one
The iPhone SE 4 is could sport slimmer bezels than its predecessors

Apple has reportedly resumed the development of the iPhone SE 4, which was previously reported to have been halted or delayed owing to low demands for the mid-to-low-end iPhone models. According to an analyst, this model is likely to feature an in-house 5G chip, developed by Apple, replacing the Qualcomm ones, and if it succeeds, the company may consider using similar in-house chips for the iPad and Apple Watch, which have “lower technical requirements.” The analyst also suggests a display update over its predecessors that the phone could feature.

According to tweets by well-known Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, "the significant decline in Qualcomm's Apple orders in the foreseeable future is a foregone conclusion." This is due to Apple's decision to develop its own 5G chips rather than fall back on Qualcomm for the element. He did not suggest any set date for the release of the iPhone SE 4 but tipped that it will not be available until at least 2024.

The iPhone SE 4 will include Apple's 5G baseband chip manufactured using a 4nm process, Kuo said, that can only support Sub-6GHz as of now. It's unclear if the iPhone 16 lineup will use Apple's 5G baseband chip. The key obstacle, according to Kuo, is whether Apple can resolve the technical challenges associated with mmWave and satellite connectivity.

If the SE 4's mass production flows smoothly in 1H24, the iPad and Apple Watch, which already have lesser technical requirements, will consider using Apple's baseband chips as well, according to Kuo.

This step will benefit Apple's hardware gross margin, whereas Qualcomm's Apple business will decrease substantially over the next 2-3 years, according to the analyst.

Kuo had suggested earlier that Apple will probably cancel or postpone the 2024 iPhone SE 4 mass production plan. Reportedly, demand for mid-to-low-end iPhone models such as the iPhone SE (2022), iPhone 14 Plus, and iPhone 13 mini had been lower than anticipated.

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The iPhone SE 4 is a "minor modification of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14," according to Kuo. He says that the iPhone SE 4 will have an OLED display rather than the previously reported LCD display, which will be the "biggest change" in Apple's plans for the device.

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Apple iPhone SE (2022)

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Powerful SoC
IP67 rating, wireless charging
Slim and light
Regular software updates

Bad
Small, low-res display
Gets warm when stressed
Average low-light camera performance
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone SE (2022) review

Display 4.70-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 7-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel

Storage 64GB, 128GB, 256GB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 750x1334 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 14 Plus

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Good overall performance
Great camera quality in daylight
iOS ecosystem and ease of use
Excellent battery life

Bad
Dated design and notch
Same SoC as iPhone 13 series
Relatively slow charging
Expensive

Read detailed Apple iPhone 14 Plus review

Display 6.68-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 16

Resolution 1284x2778 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

iPhone 13 mini

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Great performance
Versatile cameras
Sharp, bright display
Very portable and convenient

Bad
Standard display refresh rate, intrusive notch
Expensive
Average battery life

Read detailed Apple iPhone 13 mini review

Display 5.40-inch

Processor Apple A15 Bionic

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 15

Resolution 1080x2340 pixels

More Apple mobiles Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: iPhone SE 4, iPhone, Apple

Sucharita Ganguly

Email Sucharita Ganguly

Sucharita is a writer with Gadgets 360 and is mostly found playing with her cat in her free time. She has previously worked at breaking news desks across organizations. Powered by coffee, The Beatles, Bowie, and her newfound love for BTS, she aims to work towards contributing to a better media environment for women and queer folk. More