The iPhone 16e has finally arrived, bringing one of the most notable internal changes to the table, Apple’s custom C1 5G modem, which the company claims is the most efficient baseband chip that it has ever added to an iPhone. While we have yet to learn the detailed technical specifications, sifting through the comparisons, we found that the in-house solution does not support mmWave networks. A feature that allows the Snapdragon X71 5G modem running in the entire iPhone 16 family to deliver unparalleled downlink and uplink speeds.
Adding support for mmWave networks includes incorporating a bunch of components into the iPhone 16e, C1 5G modem still supports the sub-6GHz standard
Regarding speeds, Apple had nothing noteworthy to share about the C1 modem except mentioning that the in-house silicon was extremely power efficient and delivered fast and reliable 5G connectivity. What the company failed to mention was that, unlike the Snapdragon X75, the C1 does not support mmWave networks, meaning that a ton of wireless performance is being left on the table.
“Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, delivering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity. Apple silicon — including C1 — the all-new internal design, and the advanced power management of iOS 18 all contribute to extraordinary battery life.”
However, we understand that such trade-offs were necessary to price the iPhone 16e at the current figure. After all, incorporating mmWave support is not as simple as adding another chipset to the logic board and requires an intricate understanding of smartphone design. The antenna bands need to be placed in a device that delivers the most throughput, which is a whole new science, and a multitude of tests need to be conducted to ensure reliability and higher performance.
Another reason why Apple might not have added mmWave support was that the latter is only deployed in a few regions due to the sheer infrastructure makeover required for carriers to provide such a service. Since the majority of iPhone 16e’s estimated 22 million shipments are expected to come from developing regions, Apple might have thought that it is not worth the effort, not to mention the added cost. The company has not taken the liberty of adding any performance comparisons of the C1 modem, so we have to wait for in-depth test results before we provide any verdict.
