Apple C1 modem to be refreshed with feature missing in iPhone 16e
Apple's next in-house 5G modem has been projected to launch as the C3 - however, it might actually be the C1 all over again, just a different version this time.
The respected TF International Securities analyst and inadvertent, yet quite often accurate, leaker Ming-Chi Kuo now asserts that Apple intends to re-release its inaugural 5G modem in 2026.
To the potential chagrin of iPhone 16e owners, this version of the chip might come with the transceiver and RF front-end necessary for the mmWave support absent from the original C1.
The components were omitted as they might have driven power consumption upwards in the 16e, according to Kuo, but might be ready for the C1's iterative upgrade next year.
Apple might also save money on them by basing them on the extremely outdated 28 nanometer (nm) process, as using anything newer is apparently not necessary or cost-effective for something like a 5G modem.
Ironically, the current C1 does have an up to 4nm architecture (like the A16 Bionic processor), but that is unlikely to be upgraded any further in the allegedly upcoming C1 refresh.
The refreshed C1 (or "C1x", perhaps) is said to come with boosted "transmission speed" and power efficiency nonetheless.
The iPhone 14 Pro: now available for less than the base model 16e (with 256GB of internal storage, more cameras and a more up-to-date Dynamic Island display) in Renewed condition on Amazon
Source(s)
