This BIG upgrade will not come to Apple iPhone 16?

tech.hindustantimes.com:

Apple fans are likely to be hit by a double whammy event that spans iPhone 16 and iPhone SE 4. Fresh rumours around the iPhone SE 4 cancellation may have disappointed many Apple fans, but things may be worse than that. The smartphone was believed to be under development and was speculated to be released in 2024. However, Ming Chi Kuo, Apple tipster, revealed that the iPhone SE 4 may not see the light of the day. But shockingly, if this move is true, it will also mean that the iPhone 16 can miss out on a big upgrade that many had predicted. Read on to know more about iPhone SE 4 cancellation and how that impacts iPhone 16.

Kuo posted in his blog on January 6 that the iPhone SE might be cancelled. He said, “The supply chain has received instructions from Apple indicating that the production and shipment plans for the 2024 iPhone SE 4 have been cancelled rather than delayed”.

While this is indeed sad if true, there is a larger implication which also impacts the iPhone 16. Importantly, this could mean that Apple will not get to use its fany new home-grown 5G modem chipset for the 2024 lineup and will have to rely on Qualcomm for the baseband chips.

Apple has been heavily focusing on building and launching its baseband chips. The recent TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) factory being built in Phoenix, Arizona marked a watershed moment for the iPhone maker, and it was believed that the company will launch its own 5G modem chips to become more self-reliant. However, it might be too soon for Apple.

Some reports suggest that the 2024 launch target that Apple was carrying might not be enough. The earlier plan was to introduce the chipset in low impact iPhone SE devices in 2024 and based on how it performs, it could be