Apple has canceled the fourth generation iPhone SE, according to reports over the weekend.
The mid-range iPhone, which may have been released in 2024 according to speculation, has been canned, according to the well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Interestingly, according to Kuo, Apple had planned to debut its in-house 5G modem within the next-generation iPhone SE and fine-tune its performance before expanding it to the iPhone 16 due later in 2024. Apparently, that is no longer the case with Apple now likely to continue using Qualcomm modems in its 2024 phones.
Apple has long been working on the alternative modem, having purchased a ready-made division from Intel in 2019, as it seeks to lessen its reliance on third-party chipmakers. However, it seems those ongoing efforts won’t be ready to launch within iPhones until 2025 at the earliest, if Kuo’s reporting is accurate.
The information from the analyst, which comes via a Medium post, doesn’t go into detail about why Apple would drop the iPhone SE from the line-up. The handset has proved a popular and more affordable alternative to its flagship range, enabling users to enjoy a smaller display and more pocketable device with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
Kuo simply says (via MacRumors): “The supply chain has received instructions from Apple indicating that the production and shipment plans for the 2024 iPhone SE 4 have been canceled rather than delayed.”
The blog describes Qualcomm as the “biggest winner” behind Apple’s purported decision to cancel the product.
He adds: “The cancelation of the iPhone SE 4 has significantly increased the chances of Qualcomm remaining the exclusive supplier of baseband chips for the 2H24 new iPhone 16 series, which is better than the market consensus that Qualcomm will start losing iPhone orders in 2024.”
Will you miss the iPhone SE range if Apple sends it to silicon heaven? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
