Using iPhone SE 4 as a launching pad for new hardware, like the Apple 5G modem, is a brilliant move on Apple's part.

Apple is preparing three generations of 5G modem with the first arriving in the 2025 iPhone SE 4. The third generation may be coming to Macs and possibly Vision Pro too.

As we wrote about earlier today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects Apple's first 5G modem to debut in a new iPhone SE, an ultra-thin iPhone

According to Bloomberg, Apple is targeting 2027 to surpass Qualcomm’s modems with its own chips for iPhones and iPads.

According to Gurman, a cellular MacBook won’t happen before 2026, because Apple will use a later-generation modem that supports faster speeds. Apple’s first modem, the one that will be in the new iPhone SE, will have some performance limitations, such as no support for mmWave and a maximum speed of 4Gbps.

After reports suggested Apple scrapped its plans to make in-house 5G modems, it seems the company has a three-year plan to replace Qualcomm.

It is highly likely that the iPhone SE 4, set to be launched in early 2025, will come with Apple's in-house developed 5G modem. Still, sources from the upstream supply chain believe it will take some time before the chip's performance can catch up with the competition of leading suppliers.

Apple to introduce its first in-house 5G modem, reducing its reliance on Qualcomm for network connectivity in its devices.

Apple is reportedly developing an in-house modem, codenamed Sinope, to replace Qualcomm chips in iPhones by 2025. It is likely to promise improved efficiency and design, paving the way for innovations like foldable iPhones and cellular connectivity for Macs.

Apple is preparing to finally bring one of its most ambitious projects to market: a series of cellular modem chips that will replace components from longtime partner — and adversary — Qualcomm.