The iPhone 16e is just the start. Apple’s modem will start appearing in more devices as we move forward.
Apple will Bring mmWave 5G to its Modem Next Year, Expect an Interesting Qualcomm-free Future
One thing is clear: Apple isn’t able to deliver experiences it wants with third-party chips. This is the reason why the C1 exists.
There’s a certain way Apple wants people to experience cellular connectivity on the go, and it has no place for slow, unresponsive internet at all.
With Apple silicon behind its modem, the company is now in control of how it receives and transmits data from its devices. It prioritizes active tasks at hand (not the background ones) to ensure everything is extremely responsive, especially when the cellular network is congested around you.
In an interesting report from The Information, we get a hint of how Apple plans to bring its modem to more devices.
First of all, Apple plans to bring mmWave 5G to the iPhone in a future upgrade to its modem. This new modem will come to the iPhone and at least one iPad model in 2026. It’s safe to assume that these devices will likely be the iPhone 18 and iPad Pro.
Apple’s C1 does not match Qualcomm in terms of performance, and the new mmWave version won’t be able to do that either. However, when the third-generation model of the modem rolls out, it will overtake Qualcomm easily.
This is set to happen in the year 2027.
I have this feeling high performance is not Apple’s priority. The priority is to deliver experiences which just aren’t possible with third-party hardware, such as massive battery life.
The transition from Intel to ARM chips on the Mac is a fantastic example of this. Apple suddenly opened the door to long battery life, on-device artificial intelligence, and more importantly, improved privacy.
The iPhone 16e is the first 6.1-inch iPhone with the longest battery life, and C1 gets all the credit for that. Now imagine what will happen when this modem makes its way to a larger device like the Pro Max or even the 13-inch iPad.
The one thing the report does not mention if Apple will bring its model to Apple Watch as well. Currently, the news is that Apple is set to drop Qualcomm in favor of MediaTek.
I’m definitely excited right now. Make all the jokes you want, but I’ll take reliability and responsiveness any time of the day rather than speeds that only live inside the Speedtest app.
