What it’s essential to know
- Apple at the moment introduced the iPhone 16e, a $599 midrange smartphone with an A18 system-on-a-chip and an Apple C1 modem.
- The C1 modem is the first-ever Apple 5G modem, which required years of analysis and improvement — plus an enormous acquisition — to finish.
- What does this imply for Android? It is proof that if Google and Samsung make in-house modems and SoCs effectively sufficient, they’ll ditch Qualcomm totally for higher efficiency and effectivity.
Apple at the moment introduced the iPhone 16e, a $599 religious successor to the iPhone SE with a 6.1-inch display screen and an A18 chip. There’s rather a lot to love about this midrange smartphone, and it has the potential to shake up the market — probably disrupting telephones just like the Google Pixel 8a and the OnePlus 13R. Nonetheless, Android customers ought to solely be nervous about one iPhone 16e specification, and that is the Apple C1 modem.
5G modems are one of many uncommon cellular system elements that just a few corporations on the planet have created with success. Qualcomm, MediaTek, Samsung, and Huawei are just a few of them, and that is mainly the top of the checklist. The iPhone 16e represents a breakthrough for Apple as a result of it is the primary system to make use of an Apple-designed modem, known as the C1.
Similar to how Apple developed its personal in-house silicon and phased out Intel for its Mac processors, you’ll be able to anticipate future iPhones to ultimately use Apple C-series modems completely. The corporate instructed Reuters that Apple will roll out its personal modems throughout all of its merchandise, although the precise timeline for that rollout is unclear.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Professional lineups use Qualcomm modems, which have, to this point, been sooner and extra dependable than something Apple has been in a position to develop by itself. For $1 billion, the corporate purchased “the bulk” of Intel’s modem enterprise in 2019. It wished to make its personal modems, however as of 2023, a Wall Avenue Journal report detailed Apple’s struggles — and thus we received iPhones with Qualcomm modems for 2 extra years.
Now, it appears the corporate is lastly heading in the right direction to ditch Qualcomm in favor of its personal 5G {hardware}. The Apple C1 chip incorporates a baseband modem fabricated utilizing the 4-nanometer course of and a 7nm transceiver, per Reuters. It lacks millimeter-wave 5G assist, however Apple says it gives “industry-leading effectivity” that results in higher battery life.
Apple has no plans to promote C-series modems externally, and that is unlikely to vary. So, why ought to Android followers care? The iPhone 16e and the C1 modem matter as a result of they define the blueprint for giant Android OEMs to ditch Qualcomm themselves for their very own in-house chips. Following the precedent Apple simply set, it is attainable that in the future we may see Samsung use Exynos chips for each cellular processors and modems, which might be large for the Android market.
Apple’s causes for utilizing its personal C-series modems are fairly clear. For one, they’re seemingly cheaper. Apple spent a billion {dollars} shopping for a part of Intel’s 5G enterprise and perhaps extra on analysis and improvement, but it surely additionally pays a fortune to Qualcomm for the licensing of its applied sciences and the usage of its modems. Based mostly on serviette math and build-of-materials estimates from WCCF Tech, Apple may pay Qualcomm over $2.5 billion {dollars} if it meets its gross sales targets for the iPhone 16 lineup.
Other than money concerns, in-house modems permit Apple to tightly combine its modems, processors, and software program for better effectivity.
Android telephones may use a decrease BOM and extra effectivity, too
The excellent news? There’s completely no purpose why Android telephones from Samsung or Google could not additionally profit from a decrease build-of-materials price and better effectivity. If a kind of corporations managed to construct an SoC and modem ok, it may go away Qualcomm behind as soon as and for all — lead to Android telephones with higher battery life and probably a lower cost tag.
Android telephones are a bit trickier than iPhones, as a result of modems are sometimes built-in on the SoC degree. As an example, as a result of the Samsung Galaxy S25 makes use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, it additionally makes use of a Qualcomm modem. Apple and Samsung would each love to make use of their very own in-house modems, however they’re working in reverse. Apple made its processors first, then labored on modems. By comparability, Samsung already has the Exynos Modem 5400 prepared — it is contained in the Google Pixel 9 collection — however it could possibly’t fairly get its Exynos processors as much as par.
Apple’s technique is easy. Begin with cheaper, lower-stakes telephones to iron out any potential points with the Apple C1 modem with out tweaking flagship iPhones earlier than its 5G expertise is prepared for primetime. And in a approach, Samsung is already using this technique. Loads of Samsung units already use Exynos processors and modems as the corporate desperately tries to ramp up its chipmaking high quality.
All that is left is for Samsung to make an Exynos chip that may go toe-to-toe with Qualcomm’s greatest. When it does, Samsung will be capable to go away Qualcomm behind, having close to full management over the processors, modems, and software program in its units for peak effectivity.
Apple is formally proof that it is attainable. Nonetheless, if latest yield estimates for Exynos chips are any indication, Samsung has a protracted method to go.
