Apple’s new C1 modem in the iPhone 16e brings two killer features that get me very excited about the future of C-class modems.

Apple has underplayed the introduction of its first in-house cellular modem chip in the iPhone 16e, but future versions could be incorporated into the A-series chip, and even M-Series down the road.

There’s a lot to like about Apple’s newest $599 iPhone 16e, but one of the more interesting features in the device is the Apple-designed 5G modem. Apple has spent at least seven years developing the chip,

Apple and Qualcomm's relationship has been strained for a decade and the iPhone 16e C1 chip is Apple's first move to cut ties once and for all.

Apple's next-generation C2 modem is expected to arrive in 2026, debuting in Apple's iPhone 18 Pro models, according to Bloomberg's

Apple has just introduced the iPhone 16E, a spiritual successor to the iPhone SE line that has a significant first: it introduces Apple’s long-awaited in-house 5G modem called the C1. The chip, which Apple says is the most power-efficient modem in a phone, is Apple’s bid to end its reliance on Qualcomm’s 5G chips.

Phone 17 5G modems will be made by MediaTek, as Apple moves away from Qualcomm. Future iPhones will use Apple's solutions instead.

Apple has been trying to break from using Qualcomm technology in its products for years, and with the iPhone 16e, it finally managed it. One of the key details about the handset is it uses Apple’s own C1 5G modem,