After the release of Apple's iPhone 16e featuring the new C1 5G modem, comparisons have been made with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X75 5G modems. Initial tests showed the C1 to be faster, but a recent report from Cellular Insights reveals a different story. In New York City, Android phones with Qualcomm modems outperformed the C1 in both download and upload speeds. The report raised concerns about the C1's performance in challenging network conditions, highlighting the need for improvement.
One notable difference is that the C1 does not support high-band millimeter wave signals, limiting its speed potential compared to Qualcomm modems. Apple's future plans include introducing the C2 modem with mmWave support in upcoming models. This shift could impact Qualcomm's revenue as Apple aims to transition all iPhone models to its in-house 5G modems.
