The new modem of the next iPhone SE would not be as efficient as that of Qualcomm

It's looking increasingly likely that Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE will feature the company built it in-house. A new report both confirm previous reports of and points out that Apple's first modem won't be as good as the chips the company is trying to leave behind.

The new modem, called “Sinope”, will not support the short-range 5G technology offered by Verizon which can theoretically reach speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second. It will also only offer four-carrier aggregation, unlike Qualcomm's six, “a technology that simultaneously combines bands from multiple wireless service providers to increase network capacity and speed.” Bloomberg said.

Apple's modem will instead focus on delivering Sub-6 5G, the most common standard already supported on released in 2022. In testing, Apple's new modem reportedly “capped at download speeds of around 4 gigabits per second”, slower than Qualcomm's current mmWave models, but the difference is easier to justify on a cheaper device and might not be. it's noticeable anyway. The goal is ultimately to achieve even closer integration between the modem and other components of the phone to provide greater benefits than just download speed, such as improved battery life.

Bloomberg writes that launching on the iPhone SE first is how Apple plans to manage the risks associated with its new hardware bet. Debuting the iPhone 17 Pro would be a mark of confidence, but most people expect a phone costing over $1,000 to perform without issue. Until Apple can guarantee it, the OS serves as a guinea pig for the modem. But that won't be the case for long. “Ganymede,” Apple's second-generation modem, is expected to be ready for the iPhone 18 in 2026 and match Qualcomm's current offerings with mmWave support and faster download speeds. By 2027, the company's “Prometheus” modem aims to fully surpass Qualcomm in terms of “performance and artificial intelligence features.”

released later today suggests that these new modem designs could also have a pretty big influence on more than just the iPhone. Bloomberg attributes thinness to rumor to the space-saving efficiency of Apple's new modem, and also suggests that future Macs and Vision headsets could also benefit from cellular connectivity in the future. This would be the first time a Mac would have a built-in cellular system, although the iPad has had this option since day one.

There are still years to go before all of this happens, and the road to get there has been long and winding. On the one hand, the relationship between Apple and Qualcomm has had its ups and downs. The companies were in that in the end and a licensing agreement in 2019. The same year, Apple's intention to leave Qualcomm became more public with the . Since then, Apple has tried to build a team capable of creating its first modem, and even to use Qualcomm modems until 2026 in 2023. It now appears that the company could be in a position for this to be the last deal it makes with Qualcomm.