Apple Reportedly Developing Refreshed C1 Modem With mmWave for iPhone 2l1vg Technology News

The current C1 modem features a 4nm or 5nm baseband and 7nm low-frequency transceivers. 31435t

Written by Siddharth Suvarna | Updated: 7 March 2025 10:28 IST

Apple Reportedly Developing Refreshed C1 Modem With mmWave for iPhone

Photo Credit: Apple 62m2c

Apple's new iPhone 16e features the proprietary C1 cellular modem

Highlights

The current C1 modem lacks mmWave which limits 5G speeds
The refreshed modem may use 28nm components for mmWave functionality
It is said to enable faster 5G speeds where available

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A refreshed version of iPhone 16e last month, the C1 is the Cupertino-based technology giant's first-ever proprietary cellular modem which potentially reduces the company's dependency on Qualcomm. However, it is not without its caveats. A glance at the iPhone 16e's specifications reveals that the phone lacks mmWave due to this modem, but that may soon change.

mmWave on Apple's C1 Modem qj2q

C1 modem's architecture on the iPhone 16e comprises a 4nm or 5nm baseband, 7nm low-frequency transceivers, 7nm transreceivers for immediate frequency, and a 55nm Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC). It only s up to sub-6GHz 5G.

Apple's C1 modem process technology:
- Baseband: 4/5nm (both technologies are similar)
- Low-frequency/Sub-6 TRx (Transceivers): 7nm
- Intermediate Frequency (IF) TRx: 7nm
- PMIC: 55nm

The C1 refreshed version is under development for mass production next year, aiming to improve…
— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 6, 2025

Although the company claims C1 to be the “most power-efficient modem ever”, the lack of mmWave, which is the extremely high frequency (EHF) band, potentially results in slower and speeds. To address this, Apple is said to be developing its successor. Kuo claims the refreshed version of the C1 modem is unlikely to adopt a 3nm baseband due to it not being the most power-hungry component in a modem.

To enable mmWave , Apple is expected to add transreceivers and front-end components based on a 28nm node. The analyst emphasises that while adding mmWave to this modem isn't particularly a challenging process, balancing between a stable performance and low power consumption remains a hurdle.

While Kuo did not reveal which iPhone the new modem could be featured in, Apple was previously reported to also include the C1 modem in the purported iPhone 17 Air. If this phone gets the refreshed variant, s may be able to take advantage of the fastest possible and 5G speeds courtesy of mmWave , depending on the availability in the region.

Apple iPhone 16e r47f

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Light and compact design
Powerful Apple A18 SoC
Customisable Action Button
Good battery life

Bad
Low light camera performance is below average
Available in just two basic finishes
Large display notch with thick borders
60Hz refresh rate display
Slow wireless and wired charging

Read detailed Apple iPhone 16e review

Display 6.10-inch

Processor Apple A18

Front Camera 12-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

OS iOS 18

Resolution 1170x2532 pixels

More Apple mobiles price in India

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Further reading: IPhone

Shaurya Tomer

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Shaurya Tomer is a Sub Editor at Gadgets 360 with 2 years of experience across a diverse spectrum of topics. With a particular focus on smartphones, gadgets and the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), he often likes to explore the industry's intricacies and innovations – whether dissecting the latest smartphone release or exploring the ethical implications of AI advancements. In his free time, he often embarks on impromptu road trips to unwind, recharge, and ...More