Little is known about Apple’s C1 chip. The company hasn’t revealed much about its new 5G modem for iPhone 16e, but it seems logical to assume it might end up in more new iPhone models this year. However, a report by the typically reliable site The Information paints a different picture as Apple moves away from its Qualcomm partnership.
According to the publication, Apple doesn’t plan to add the new C1 modem to the iPhone 17 lineup. It will still move away from Qualcomm, but MediaTek will be responsible for the 5G chips in this year’s flagship phones. However, by 2026, Apple reportedly plans to add the C1 chip to at least one iPad, and then it wants to add the second generation of the C1 modem to the iPhone 18 lineup.
The Information report corroborates a story by Bloomberg. Previously, the publication said that, in the next year, this chip would finally add mmWave support, download speeds of 6 gigabits per second, six-carrier aggregation when using Sub-6 5G, and eight-carrier aggregation when using mmWave.
When the iPhone reaches its 20-year anniversary in 2027, the company hopes it can top Qualcomm with its modem’s performance and AI features. Apple is also aiming to build support for next-generation satellite networks and eventually merge its 5G modem with its main processor, creating the ultimate singular mobile component.
While we still have to see how Apple’s C1 chip behaves in real-life usage, it’s interesting how confident the company is about its new 5G modem and how fast it plans to move away from Qualcomm.
Another report by Reuters reveals that the C1 chip is so well integrated into Apple’s ecosystem that it can dynamically look for different networks or prioritize the connection you need depending on whether you want to send a file through AirDrop or look at something on the web.
BGR will let you know once we learn more about Apple’s 5G plans for the iPhone 17 and future devices.
