The iPhone SE 4 wouldn’t have died, after all. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple has restarted the development of the aforementioned model, which would come with several new features. The most important, the removal of the front button with Touch ID, the implementation of a 6.1-inch screen and the adoption of its own 5G chip.
The information comes just months after the analyst himself disclosed that Apple had supposedly canceled work on this new model. At the time, Kuo said that the decision had been made based on the poor performance of its latest “lower-performance” phones. Such the cases of the iPhone SE 3, the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone 14 Plus.
The expert does not mention why those from Cupertino would have changed their minds again regarding the iPhone SE 4. However, the new data does reveal some really interesting questions. The first, that Apple would no longer release new iPhones smaller than its main line.
Let’s remember that until the iPhone SE 3, those of the apple have maintained their old design with a 4.7-inch screen. According to Kuo, his successor would use a 6.1-inch OLED panel that would be a “minor modification” of what we already saw in the iPhone 14. This would completely change the design of the mobile, which would adopt an aesthetic like that of the older models. brand modern, and would force the removal of the physical button with Touch ID on the front.
It is worth clarifying that the screen size was one of the questions that Apple was considering when planning the development of the iPhone SE 4. In fact, last October we told you that those from Cupertino were debating between two options: a 5.7-inch panel or one of 6.1 inches. If the most recent information is reliable, everything suggests that they leaned towards the second.
The iPhone SE 4 would use a 5G modem designed by Apple
The other great novelty of the iPhone SE 4 would be incorporating an Apple-designed 5G chip. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, those from Cupertino would provide the mobile with a modem developed under a 4-nanometer process, but that would be limited to the sub-6 GHz bands. If it materializes, it could be the first model to introduce the new hardware of the of the Apple.
Let’s remember that Apple has been working on its own 5G modem for years, with the desire to cut ties with Qualcomm, who currently provides this component. However, his development would have been plagued with setbacks, including overheating issues, which would be delaying his plans. Kuo says that Tim Cook’s people are still debating whether to use the chip in question in their main catalog starting with iPhone 16, or since when.
Will the iPhone SE 4 be the litmus test to see if Apple can start migrating the rest of its products to the new hardware? The analyst implies that yes. “Assuming the mass production of the iPhone SE 4 goes smoothly in the first half of 2024, the iPad and Apple Watch, which have lower technical requirements, will soon also abandon Qualcomm chips,” he said in a statement. a tweet.
Regarding the upcoming iPhone SE, it is still unknown when it might hit the market. Although it is a fact that, if Apple really advances in its development, will not reach the public before 2024. It remains to be seen if, beyond the technical changes, those from Cupertino decide to give it an aesthetic more in line with that of their modern iPhones. Some rumors suggest that it could inherit the design of the iPhone XR and that it would keep the notch at the top of the screen.
