Apple's C1 modem is a quiet game-changer that's mostly flying under the radar

With the launch of iPhone 16e, we also saw the launch of something far more important — Apple's custom C1 modem. Here's what means and why you should care about it.

To cover the basics, the modem a chip in your phone that connects you to your cell provider. The C1 modem chip is the fruit of Apple Silicon research. It is Apple's first modem that it has created entirely in-house, versus buying off-the-shelf components from Qualcomm.

There's discussion online that Apple's efforts to create their own modem are just a way to stop paying Qualcomm. That may be partially true, but it's got more to do with supply chain control and Apple's future plans.

Technically, even though it's Apple's chip, Apple is still paying licensing fees of some sort. It may phase out Qualcomm's modems, but will still owe royalties for use of the 5G standard.

But now, Apple has control over designing the chips, how they're produced, and exactly what they can do. Plus, Apple is already utilizing this chip in some really unique ways that pays off for you - the user.

Compromises on a first-gen chip

As the first Apple modem, Apple did have to make some compromises. Shortcomings include the lack of support for Wi-Fi 7, as well as no mmWave cellular support.

So far, while the C1 doesn't break any speed records, it's at least as capable as Qualcomm in core 5G performance in early tests.

Apple excels in designing the hardware and software together, down to a chip level

No Wi-Fi 7 may hurt eventually, but it is a brand new standard. Apple appears to be late to the game for supporting new Wi-Fi spec, so with control over the chip, it could speed things along.

I know some may balk at the lack of mmWave, but it's still not commonplace enough to matter for most users. Its inability to go through walls relegates it largely to select outdoor areas in big cities or in stadiums — at best.

That's likely why the C1 debuted in Apple's iPhone SE successor. If performance isn't up to snuff, it won't be as big of a deal compared to the priority flagships.

Don't let these negatives sour you on Apple's chip, though. It's full of potential.

Future Apple C-series chips and products

The C1 does some cool stuff within your phone that Apple couldn't otherwise do. For example, it can communicate directly with the processor.

iPhone 16e may not have Wi-Fi 7 or mmWave, but it has a few tricks such as amazing battery life

Your modem can tell your processor when the network is congested or slow. Then your processor can reply back to the modem with what data should be prioritized.

The result, is even in poor network conditions, your phone feels faster. That's not something a speed test can show readily.

It's that kind of tight integration between hardware and software Apple is known for, and something that gets largely unrecognized.

The same innovation goes for the battery life. The C1 is so power efficient, it gets four more hours of use than the comparable iPhone 16 with its Qualcomm chip.

So with its first try, it has a chip that is comparable to Qualcomm with far better power efficiency and unique chip-level communication. It's great for the iPhone 16e, but could show up in other products too.

Up next, iPhone 17 Air is the most likely contender. Rumors say it will get the C1, while the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will stick with existing Qualcomm chips.

For example, putting C1 in the iPhone 17 Air makes perfect sense. It's a whole new device with a tiny form factor so battery life will be incredibly important.

Rumored to be under 6mm thick, there's very little internal volume for a large battery. As a result, Apple will have to use smaller battery than others in the lineup.

Thanks to the C1, Apple may be able to match or exceed the other phone's battery lives with such a small chassis — as it has done with the iPhone 16e.

Looking further into the future, reports say Apple is already hard at work on a C2 and even C3 chip. These are the ones that are more likely to show up future iPhones that improve battery life further, add on mmWave, and go to at least Wi-Fi 7.

Furthermore, a recent report says that Apple is even working on integrating the C-series chips directly into its A and M-series processors. Which means, theoretically, we could finally get cellular Macs.

Inside Apple's chip testing labs. Source: Andru Edwards

Cellular Macs have been a long-time dream for users over the years and while you can use the wireless hotspot on your phone, it isn't the same. Performance isn't as good unless you're tethering with a cable. For better or worse, Apple's C1 in Mac and would allow you to have one data plan for your laptop and a second for your phone.

For example, you could have a Mac on a movie set, or in a street market without needing Wi-Fi or someone's phone to tether to.

A photographer shooting remotely would have a more reliable connection. Why tether from your phone and stay next to your laptop during a photo upload session when the laptop itself could have a self-sustaining cellular connection?

Sources familiar with Apple's plans say that it is currently integrating the modem more tightly with other hardware, for benefits including greater efficiency. I'd love to see inclusion in a Home Hub as part of iCloud+ as a redundancy in case of network outages.

The ability for Apple to add new features, iterate more quickly, improve performance, and allow devices to be thinner and longer lasting sounds amazing. And we're just at the beginning here.

The C1 is an amazing piece of tech and I'm sure we'll eventually look back on this just as we do now to when Apple ditched Power PC for Intel and then Intel for its own chips. It's under-the-radar inclusion on the iPhone 16e is the start of a whole new era for cellular Apple devices.