With the iPhone 16e release, Apple debuted its first 5G modem, the C1. While this custom 5G chip wasn’t used in the company’s latest M3 iPad Air or base model iPad, Cupertino is still committed to using its own chips and modems.
After detailing the upcoming iPhone Fold device, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X about the refreshed C1 version coming next year, which we all assume will be called C2. He writes: “The C1 refreshed version is under development for mass production next year, aiming to improve power consumption and transmission speed and support for mmWave (including TRx and front-end components, built on a 28nm process).”
While mmWave is expected to be available with Apple’s C1 successor, the analyst says this isn’t a “particularly challenging” feature. However, “achieving stable performance with low power consumption remains a key hurdle.”
Kuo also details the difference between the latest chip innovations and what is actually required to make a good successor of the C1. “Unlike processors/GPUs, baseband chips don’t aggressively adopt the latest advanced node because the return on investment isn’t high. As a result, it’s unlikely that Apple’s baseband will shift to a 3nm process next year,” he writes.
The analyst explains that advanced nodes don’t significantly improve baseband transmission speeds, and it’s not the most power-consuming component in a mobile phone’s wireless system.
While Qualcomm says Apple C1 isn’t even in the same league as its new X85 modem, Apple might do with this 5G modem what it’s done with the M-series: optimize this chip as much as it can so it runs smoothly on Apple devices, even if it lacks some fancy features.
Besides that, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman also reported on Apple’s plans for future C1 versions. The second-generation 5G chip is expected to power the 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.
