iPhone 16e's C1 modem. | Image Credit - Apple

Apple has quietly made a significant technological breakthrough with the development of their first in-house modem, the C1, for the newly released iPhone 16e. Despite years of effort and innovation put into creating this modem, Apple surprisingly chose not to highlight it during the phone's launch. While the company has extensively promoted their M-series and A-series chips in the past, the C1 modem received little attention in comparison. With the upcoming release of the iPhone 17 Air set to also utilize the C1 modem, it seems that Apple has big plans for this technology in its future lineup. Despite the lack of focus on the C1's capabilities during the iPhone 16e launch, Apple has emphasized its power efficiency, hinting at a more budget-friendly approach for this model.