2025 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for the iPhone. Apple could release a new model that could take a new design approach and possibly update the iPhone SE, and both phones could feature another new chip. According to a report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo on X, the slim iPhone 17 and iPhone SE 4 could feature an Apple-made 5G modem.
“Apple is accelerating its move away from Qualcomm,” Kuo wrote. “In 2025, two new iPhone models will ditch Qualcomm’s 5G chips and adopt Apple’s in-house 5G chips: the iPhone SE4 (1Q25) and the ultra-thin iPhone 17 (3Q25).” Why just those two models? So Apple can effectively test the modem widely without building it into every new iPhone. The SE and iPhone 17 Slim will likely be much less popular than the other 2025 models (iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max), so the issues will be easier to resolve.
Okay, most users don’t really care about the iPhone’s modem, just that it works. But it’s important because Apple seems to finally be cashing in on its billion-dollar purchase of Intel’s modem business, exactly five years ago today. Since the purchase, there have been reports that the project has run into problems, and there was even a report last year that Apple finally gave up. But it looks like that might finally be happening.
Qualcomm’s modems work well, so why would Apple bother making its own? Apple has a history of controlling as much of its product development as possible, and by developing its own modem, it can design it to exactly match the specifications it wants and can stop making iPhone design adaptations for a Qualcomm modem. Plus, it’s obviously cheaper to use in-house components than to license them from another company.
