Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple is operating on an stepped forward C1 modem with mmWave fortify

There are strangely few corporations making their very own 5G modems – and as of closing week, Apple is now one in all them. Their first pass is the Apple C1 discovered throughout the iPhone 16e. Whilst Apple touted its chronic potency, the C1 does have boundaries that may save you its adoption into the extra top class iPhones.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo experiences that Apple is operating on a “refreshed C1” for subsequent yr, which is able to carry crucial limitation – the loss of mmWave fortify.

The present C1 helps sub-6GHz 5G best. It is composed of a 4nm or 5nm baseband, 7nm low-frequency transceivers, 7nm additionally for the intermediate frequencies and a 55nm Energy Control Built-in Circuit (PMIC).

Kuo experiences that Apple is not likely to shift the baseband to 3nm for the following model – it’s now not essentially the most power-hungry element of a 5G modem, so there are few good points available right here.

However what Apple will do is upload mmWave transceivers and front-end parts (the use of a 28nm node) to allow the quickest 5G speeds conceivable (within the areas that also have mmWave, no less than). Kuo says that obtaining mmWave to paintings isn’t tricky, however a mmWave modem this is each strong and tool environment friendly is difficult.

Up to now, Kuo reported that the iPhone 17 Air will use the C1 chip in addition to Apple’s in-house Wi-Fi chip. Alternatively, the remainder of the iPhone 17 circle of relatives will persist with the Qualcomm 5G modem whilst additionally adopting the Apple Wi-Fi chip (up to now, Apple used Broadcom chips for that).

It’s now not transparent whether or not pre-existing offers or the loss of mmWave fortify will stay the C1 out of maximum iPhone 17 fashions. Nevertheless it’s moderately conceivable that extra of the iPhone 18 fashions (and now not simply the following Air) will undertake the refreshed C1 modem subsequent yr. As for a correct sequel, an Apple C2, there is not any knowledge on that but.

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Apple iPhone 16e