During the Mobile World Congress 2025, Qualcomm unveiled its new X85 5G modem with an integrated 5G AI processor. The company says this chip is “designed to deliver the high-performance 5G connectivity required for hybrid and agentic AI experiences.”
Qualcomm revealed that this new X85 5G modem features 5G mmWave support, 400Mhz download bandwidth in the Sub-6Ghz spectrum, and satellite connectivity, none of which are found in Apple’s C1.
With download speeds of up to 12.5 Gbps and 3.7 Gbps uploads, Qualcomm says this 5G modem can combine multiple frequencies from different carriers. More interestingly, the company’s CEO Cristiano Amon also called out the difference between Apple’s first 5G modem and what Qualcomm’s option can do:
“It’s the first modem that has so much AI, it actually increases the range of performance of the modem so the modem can deal with weaker signals,” Amon told CNBC. “What that will do will set a huge delta between the performance of premium Android devices and iOS devices when you compare what Qualcomm can do versus what Apple is doing.”
Currently, Apple’s iPhone 16e is the only device with the C1 chip, the company’s first 5G modem. This iteration still lacks some of the premium benefits available with the iPhone 16 Pro and Qualcomm’s latest 5G modem. However, Bloomberg reports that Apple has an ambitious three-year plan to catch up with its current partner.
At this moment, it’s unclear if Apple plans to catch up with current technology or if it thinks that in only three years, it will be able to compete head-to-head with Qualcomm. Now, Apple can only claim that its 5G modem is more power-efficient, but will this be enough to ditch Qualcomm?
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman revealed that Apple is already working on a second-generation 5G modem that could power the future iPhone 18 models. By 2026, 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 20th anniversary in 2027, the company hopes to top Qualcomm with its modem performance and AI features. Apple also aims to build support for next-generation satellite networks and eventually merge its 5G modem with its main processor, creating the ultimate singular mobile component.
