Apple will reportedly not integrate the C series modem with its main process before 2028.
Apple’s C1 cellular modem lacks mmWave 5G support, potentially affecting data speeds
Photo Credit: Apple
Apple is reportedly planning to integrate its in-house 5G cellular modem into the main chipset. As per the report, the company is already testing the successor to the C1 modem, with an eventual goal of reducing dependence on the Qualcomm-sourced component. After being rumoured for months, the Cupertino-based tech giant finally launched its first cellular modem with the iPhone 16e handset. However, currently, the modem occupies a separate slot in the device's motherboard, which is not optimal for energy efficiency or cost reduction.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in his Power On newsletter that the tech giant is currently internally testing the C2 and C3 modems (expected names), which will be launched as the successor to the C1 5G cellular modem. Citing unnamed sources, the report claimed that the C2 modem could debut in 2026 and be featured across the company's 2026 iPhone lineup.
Gurman claimed that Apple's in-house modem is currently not as powerful as the Qualcomm counterpart that is used in the iPhone 16 models, which could be one of the reasons why the tech giant did not talk much about the milestone with the iPhone 16e launch. The company did claim that the C1 modem is the “most power-efficient modem ever” on an iPhone, however, efficiency is a more convoluted metric to measure.
Apple is reportedly expected to surpass Qualcomm with the third iteration of the modem, which could arrive in 2027. Gurman claimed that the modem could be fitted in an independent slot till that point. Apple reportedly does not have plans to integrate the modem into the main chipset till 2028. It is said that the integration is part of the company's long-term roadmap as it would offer both better energy optimisation as well as cost reduction.
Notably, as per Apple's technical specifications for the iPhone 16e, the C1 modem lacks support for mmWave, which is an extremely high frequency (EHF) band. It could dampen the download and upload speeds on the phone.
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