Apple's C1 benchmarks could give Qualcomm a run for its money

When Apple launched the iPhone 16e, one of its new features was the use of Apple’s C1 modem. The company’s plan is to eventually replace Qualcomm’s modems with its own, so the question is, how does Apple’s modem hold up? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t what most Apple fans want to hear. According to Ookla’s benchmarks, the Apple C1 did not exactly beat out Qualcomm.

How did the C1 perform?

Ookla’s study measures performance in three tiers. The first tier, the 10th percentile, basically measures how the modems perform when connectivity is struggling. Apple’s C1 beat Qualcomm here. However, in the 90th percentile, where connectivity is optimal, Qualcomm beat out the Apple C1 modem in the benchmarks. As for the median tier, the C1 edged out Qualcomm ever so slightly.

However, even then the results are mixed. This is because Speedtest data found that the C1 performed better on some networks than others. For instance, the iPhone 16e achieved faster speeds on AT&T and Verizon’s networks but was noticeably slower on T-Mobile’s network.

Based on these results, it sounds like the Qualcomm is clearly the “better” choice, especially under ideal conditions, right? However, Ookla doesn’t see it that way. The company says, “Performance at the lowest 10th percentile often provides a more accurate reflection of overall quality of experience (QoE) than the fastest 90th percentile, which can be skewed by deployments in mmWave-covered locations and is subject to declining marginal returns.”

A decent start for Apple

To be fair, the C1 is Apple’s first attempt at creating its own modems. Apple bought Intel’s smartphone modem business years ago, so for its acquisition to finally bear fruit is good progress. Also, take into account the fact that the C1 doesn’t support mmWave connectivity right now.

We’re hearing reports that Apple is working on an update to the C1, which will support mmWave. So maybe that version should have better benchmarks. Either way, it’s still kind of impressive that Apple got this close to Qualcomm’s results despite it being its first modem. Hopefully, we’ll see more improvements in future iterations.

Apple will continue using Qualcomm’s modems until 2027, which is when its licensing deal runs out. This means that Apple will use a mix of its own modems and Qualcomm’s modems in its upcoming iPhones. The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to use the C1, while the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup will likely use Qualcomm’s modems.

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