Qualcomm has challenged Apple’s claims regarding the performance of its in-house C1 modem, asserting that it falls short compared to Qualcomm’s existing modems. A recent study conducted by Cellular Insights found that Android devices powered by Qualcomm technology outperformed the Apple iPhone 16e in both download and upload speeds, particularly in urban environments like New York City. The report indicates that download speeds for the Android devices were 34.3 to 35.2 percent faster than those of the iPhone 16e, while upload speeds were 81.4 to 91 percent faster. Qualcomm emphasized that the performance differences were especially pronounced under less-than-ideal signal conditions, highlighting the advantages of modern features in their modems that the C1 lacks. This comes as Apple seeks to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm.
Why do we care?
Apple wants full-stack control—from silicon to software. This may seem disasterous – it’s not. Not every client will notice a 35% drop in theoretical mobile speeds. Many operate on Wi-Fi most of the time or don’t push their upload speeds heavily. Also, Apple will iterate fast—this is their first-gen modem, and they’ve proven capable of rapid improvement.
Qualcomm should be worried. That’s not bad for a low-end, entry level version one.