Almost hidden in the message of the iPhone 16E, Apple fell something of a bomb shell: it is producing its own 5G modems now. This has of course been rumored for a long time and has honestly taken longer than expected; Apple bought Intel’s fashion department in 2019 for its patents and engineers with the aim of producing its own cellular modems instead of buying them from Qualcomm.
In fact, there was a time when we were not even sure it would ever be released, but now that Apple’s first cellular modem is here, what do we know about it? What Don’t do it Do we know? How will this shape the future of iPhone and other Apple products? Here’s all we’ve learned about the C1 modem so far.
What is C1?
C1 is Apple’s first cellular modem. It follows the naming form for other processors, Apple Makes: A series for the “Application Processors”, the H series for “Headphones” “Ultrawide band” and so on.
A cellular modem is the processor that takes signals from the antenna and transforms them into useful data and vice versa. It is the primary part that is responsible for your connection to cellular networks, and along with other design considerations, a major role in your iPhone’s cellular connection speed and reliability as well as battery life.
With C1, Apple uses a cellular modem of its own design for the first time. Apple has purchased cellular modems from Qualcomm, primarily since the original iPhone in 2007. IPhone 11, iPhone XS/XR and 2nd Generation iPhone SE along with some variants of iPhone X with Intel, but since iPhone started supporting 5G with iPhone 12, are all modems made of Qualcomm.
IPhone 16E’s C1 modem is the first step toward checking any wireless component on iPhone.
Apple
How is C1 compared to other 5G cellular modems?
C1 supports most of the existing spectrum and bands of the modems found in Apple’s iPhone 16 line, including 4G LTE and 5G, with 4 × 4 MIMO. It lacks HSDPA and MMWAVE with double carrier. The more common 5G is called “sub-6 GHz” and uses the same general frequency areas as other cellular connection standards.
There is a lot of a modem to do to maintain a reliable connection and good speed, and we simply do not yet know how C1 works in these respects. It can be as fast as Qualcomm’s modems in under 6-tapes, or it can be slower. It can disconnect more often or it can be more reliable. Until we get good independent test, we just don’t know.
In an interview with Reuters after the launch of the iPhone 16E, Apple says it built C1 to better handle areas with spotted service: “For example, if an iPhone meets overloaded data network, the phone’s processor can signal to the modem, which traffic is it most time sensitive and put it in front of other data transfers, making the phone feel more responsive to the user’s needs, said Arun Mathias, vice president of Wireless software at Apple. “
Apple says the most important base band is made with a 4-nanometer process and the transceiver with a 7NM process. It is pretty advanced to a cellular modem, but not unheard of. Apple seems to suggest in its marketing that C1 is particularly effective, but we can not only assume that the long claimed battery life on the iPhone 16E is mainly due to improved cellular efficiency – there are many other factors that play, such as battery capacity, A18 -The processor, display efficiency and more.
The lack of millimeter wave is likely to get the most attention here in the United States, where these frequencies are more common than in the rest of the world. These are the very fast but very short-covered cell towers that give you multi-gigabit speeds but do not travel more than one block or two and do not penetrate the walls.
Once the iPhone 16E is released and more independent tests can be performed targeting the C1 modem specifically, we will update this section with the results.
Will Apple use C1 in future products?
It is unclear whether Apple will use C1 in a product other than the iPhone 16E. The iPhone 17-Line is expected to have Qualcomm modema again as Apple signed a six-year chipset contract with Qualcomm in 2019 with a two-year opportunity to expand.
However, the cellular versions of the Apple Watch and iPad also use cellular modems, and these products could very well have C1, especially if it is more effective effective as top-end cellular speed is less important than it is in the iPhone.
Apple Intelligence is the most important feature of the iPhone 16E, but the C1 modem is equally important for the future.
Foundry
Will there be a C2, C3, etc.?
As Apple develops future cellular modems, we expect the company to eventually use C-chips in all its cellular connected products. In an interview with Reuters, Apple’s Senior VP for hardware technologies Johny Srouji said: “C1 is the start and we will continue to improve that technology every generation so it will be a platform for us that will be used for real technology for our products. “
Before releasing C1, it was rumored that Apple had a three-step plan in the works. The first chip appears in products with lower prioritization and would as such be inferior to Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line modem. C1 in iPhone 16E appears to meet this prediction.
The next chip (C2) would come about a year later and catch up with Qualcomm’s best. It would be shown in several of Apple’s products, which means we are likely to see it debut in the iPhone 18 line. After three years, Apple will be on its third re-chip, C3, which should “beat” Qualcomm, at what time Apple switches to its own cellular modems for all products.
In addition to promoting capabilities for generations, Apple eventually has to integrate the modem into its most important Soc (System-On-Chip) design. This is common with some of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors used in Android phones, for example, and it helps improve the effect and reduce the size and complexity of the iPhone’s internal components.
What about Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ultra-Wideband and other wireless chips?
Apple already manufactures its own Ultra Wideband chips (U1 and U2) and uses them on iPhones, Airtags, Apple Watch and the Charging case for AirPods Pro 2.
The company is dependent on chips from companies like Broadcom for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but it won’t be too long. Apple develops its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip and is expected to start using it in products as early as this year. (We will have to wait for the first demolition, but it doesn’t seem to be part of the iPhone 16E that only supports Wi-Fi 6.) The new chip could debut in iPhone 17, or in another product, Such as the HomePod Mini or Apple TV, but we are unlikely to hear a lot about it before demolition.
Apple’s Wi-Fi chip is expected to support the latest Wi-Fi 7-Spec and offer what reports say is “improved connection”.