Apple’s Next Major Update Will Weaken New iPhone 16

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 12: Attendees check out the all-new Apple iPhone 15 during … (+) Apple event on September 12, 2023 in Cupertino, California. During the event, Apple revealed its lineup of the latest versions of the iPhone 15, as well as other product improvements. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

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Two months before its launch, a new leak has emerged suggesting that the next iPhone SE could quickly replace the upcoming iPhone 16. It’s all thanks to the new hardware Apple will put into the cheapest new iPhone on the market.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reports that Apple will introduce its 5G modem into its 2025 phones. This means that the iPhone 17 family should benefit from the new technology. Kuo also states that the fourth-generation iPhone SE, scheduled to launch in early 2025, will also benefit from the new modem.

Introducing new iPhone hardware that’s the closest thing to Apple’s budget modem is a bold choice. It means Apple will lower the price of the new iPhone 16 six months after its launch.

The iPhone 16 is the closest competitor to the iPhone SE. With a push to bring generative AI to the full range of new iOS devices, the iPhone 16 will run on the same Apple Silicon A18 chipset, as well as increased memory to allow Apple’s Intelligence software to run smoothly. Apple’s AI won’t run on older hardware, and the Apple Intelligence software suite is what the company hopes will be a key point of differentiation that will drive sales of the new iPhones. It would be unthinkable for Apple to launch the iPhone SE without Apple Intelligence support.

Last week, reports emerged that Apple would offer an iPhone SE with an OLED display. Again, the SE is expected to match the specs of the iPhone 16. Assuming a similarly competitive price to previous SE models compared to the regular iPhone, it will be hard to recommend the iPhone 16 knowing that a better value for money model will appear in a few months.

Now consider the benefits of equipping any iPhone with an Apple-designed 5G modem. You would have tighter hardware and software integration because the chipset wouldn’t have to be universal, one phone platform, one modem, and there would be no compromises or compatibility. You would have tighter software stack integration, giving the operating system complex knowledge about the only modem it will ever communicate with.

Just as the move to Apple Silicon has led to increased performance, efficiency, and durability, there will also be a shift away from Qualcomm modem technology toward Apple’s own technology.

iPhone 16 won’t benefit from this advantage. iPhone SE will be the first to do so. And those who wait will be the first to discover a brave new world as Apple creates its own connection.

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