With the iPhone 16e launch, Apple debuted its first 5G modem, the C1. Whereas this tradition 5G chip wasn’t used within the firm’s newest M3 iPad Air or base mannequin iPad, Cupertino continues to be dedicated to utilizing its personal chips and modems.
After detailing the upcoming iPhone Fold machine, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X in regards to the refreshed C1 model coming subsequent yr, which all of us assume shall be known as C2. He writes: “The C1 refreshed model is beneath growth for mass manufacturing subsequent yr, aiming to enhance energy consumption and transmission pace and assist for mmWave (together with TRx and front-end parts, constructed on a 28nm course of).”
Whereas mmWave is predicted to be obtainable with Apple’s C1 successor, the analyst says this isn’t a “notably difficult” characteristic. Nonetheless, “reaching steady efficiency with low energy consumption stays a key hurdle.”
Kuo additionally particulars the distinction between the newest chip improvements and what’s truly required to make an excellent successor of the C1. “Not like processors/GPUs, baseband chips don’t aggressively undertake the newest superior node as a result of the return on funding isn’t excessive. Because of this, it’s unlikely that Apple’s baseband will shift to a 3nm course of subsequent yr,” he writes.
The analyst explains that superior nodes don’t considerably enhance baseband transmission speeds, and it’s not probably the most power-consuming part in a cell phone’s wi-fi system.
Whereas Qualcomm says Apple C1 isn’t even in the identical league as its new X85 modem, Apple would possibly do with this 5G modem what it’s accomplished with the M-series: optimize this chip as a lot as it could possibly so it runs easily on Apple gadgets, even when it lacks some fancy options.
Apart from that, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman additionally reported on Apple’s plans for future C1 variations. The second-generation 5G chip is predicted to energy the iPhone 18 fashions. By 2026, this chip would lastly add mmWave assist, obtain speeds of 6 gigabits per second, six-carrier aggregation when utilizing Sub-6 5G, and eight-carrier aggregation when utilizing mmWave.
When the iPhone reaches its twentieth anniversary in 2027, the corporate hopes to high Qualcomm with its modem efficiency and AI options. Apple additionally goals to construct assist for next-generation satellite tv for pc networks and finally merge its 5G modem with its foremost processor, creating the final word singular cell part.
