Apple introduced its first in-house 5G modem, the C1, earlier this year with the launch of the iPhone 16e, drawing attention to how it compares with Qualcomm’s offerings. According to a report from Seeking Alpha, a Qualcomm-commissioned study comparing 5G performance between Android smartphones and Apple’s iPhone 16e found that Qualcomm’s modems delivered superior performance—particularly in densely populated urban areas.
The Qualcomm-backed study comes as Apple pushes to expand its in-house modem chips across its product lineup, as highlighted by GuruFocus.
Seeking Alpha notes that the study was conducted by Cellular Insights and compared two Android smartphones featuring Qualcomm’s modems with Apple’s iPhone 16e, which uses the company’s first-generation C1 5G modem.
The Cellular Insights study found that Android devices achieved 34.3% to 35.2% faster download speeds across three test locations on T-Mobile’s standalone 5G network in New York City. Upload speeds were even more pronounced, with Android devices outperforming by 81.4% to 91%.
The study also noted that while all three devices performed similarly under optimal, near-cell conditions, performance gaps widened significantly as signal quality declined. However, 9to5Mac points to a previous study by Ookla saying that Apple’s C1 modem may actually have an advantage, suggesting that the Cellular Insights results may be skewed by Qualcomm’s higher peak speeds, which are rarely achieved in real-world usage.
Meanwhile, according to a Reuters report from February, Apple’s C1 chip lacks support for millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G—a technology where Qualcomm has a clear advantage. As noted by Wccftech, unlike Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75, the C1 does not support mmWave, which could limit its overall wireless performance.
As indicated by Reuters, Qualcomm executives have said they expect their share of Apple’s modem business to fall from the current 100% to as low as 20% by next year, although a technology licensing agreement between the two companies remains in place through at least 2027.
Following the launch of the C1 in the iPhone 16e, Apple is reportedly preparing to introduce a pro-level C2 modem in next year’s flagship iPhones, with an even more advanced C3 version planned for the year after, according to Bloomberg.
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(Photo credit: Qualcomm)
Please note that this article cites information from Seeking Alpha, GuruFocus, Cellular Insights, 9to5Mac, Ookla, Reuters, Wccftech, and Bloomberg.
