C1 is Apple's first-ever proprietary cellular modem.
Apple launched its iPhone 16e last month
Photo Credit: Apple
iPhone 17 series is still months away from launch but that has not stopped the rumour mill from churning out details about next year's iPhone 18 series. Most recently, a prominent analyst opined that iPhone 18 Pro models will come with Apple's second-generation modem. The iPhone maker introduced its first-ever in-house modem, C1, with the iPhone 16e. The first cellular modem designed by Apple is claimed to deliver fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity.
As reported by 9to5mac, Jeff Pu of GF Securities outlined his expectations for the iPhone 18 series in his latest note to investors. The analyst reportedly expects Apple to pack the “C2” modem in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max in 2026.
This isn't the first time the development of the second-generation Apple modem has been mentioned, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also claimed in February that Apple is planning to use the C2 modem next year in “higher-end iPhones”.
Further, Pu reportedly said that Apple wants to pack the C1 in the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, but the company may call off this decision. It is uncertain if Apple could use the C1 chip in iPhone 18 models while reserving the purported C2 for Pro models. The company may retain the Qualcomm 5G modem for the premium models.
The C1 which debuted with the iPhone 16e last month lacks support for mmWave, which is the extremely high frequency (EHF) band. This can result in slower download and upload speeds on the phone. A refreshed version of Apple's C1 modem is said to be in development with mmWave support. Releasing new in-house chips will make Apple less dependent on outside suppliers including Qualcomm.
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