Apple has been making efforts to lessen its reliance on other manufacturers.
According to reports, Apple has decided against releasing an iPhone SE in 2024. An analyst says that Apple has canceled the fourth-generation iPhone SE that was supposed to be released next year. The company is based in Cupertino, California. Additionally, the analyst asserted that Apple intended to debut its first in-house 5G chip on the handset before including it in the company’s flagship iPhone 16 series. However, the rumored cancellation of the iPhone SE may indicate that Apple will continue to use Qualcomm chips in 2024.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a technology analyst, wrote in a blog post that Apple’s instructions to its supply chain indicate that plans for the fourth-generation iPhone SE’s production and shipment have been scrapped. Kuo claims that Apple initially planned to include its in-house 5G chip in its iPhone 16 lineup before releasing the iPhone SE in 2024 as the first smartphone to do so.
However, the company may continue to use Qualcomm’s 5G chips in its phones despite the rumored cancellation of the fourth-generation iPhone SE. Kuo claims that Apple was concerned that its in-house chip would not perform as well as Qualcomm’s.
The analyst tweeted in December that the 2024 iPhone SE could be canceled or delayed due to weak sales of the third-generation iPhone SE, iPhone 13 Mini, and iPhone 14 Plus, among other factors. The latest information follows that tweet.
In 2022, Apple released a new iPhone SE model, introducing the third generation of its entry-level iPhone in March. The 4.7-inch display of the third-generation iPhone SE is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic SoC.
Apple has been working toward making its own device components and reducing its reliance on other manufacturers. By the end of 2024 or the beginning of 2025, the company reportedly intends to switch from Qualcomm’s cellular modem chips to its own chipsets. Additionally, in 2025, the company intends to replace the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips on its devices with custom-designed in-house chips.