The Surprising Speed of Apple’s First 5G Modem

The reviews for the iPhone 16e are now available, and they’ve put Apple’s new C1 modem to the test. Much to everyone’s surprise, the results indicate that the C1 modem’s speeds are not as slow as many had initially feared, especially when compared to Qualcomm’s modems.

Despite not supporting ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., the C1 modem still seems to deliver performance that’s on par with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X71, which is used in the other iPhone 16 models, such as the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.

Reviewers have shared their experiences with the iPhone 16e and its C1 modem. For instance, Allison Johnson from The Verge mentioned that she didn’t find much difference between the C1 and X71 modems. During her time using the iPhone 16e, she made FaceTime calls, uploaded large video files in busy locations, and streamed videos on public transportation. When testing both the iPhone 16e and a regular iPhone 16 with Qualcomm’s modem, she found no consistent performance differences.

Similarly, John Velasco from Tom’s Guide pointed out that it was tough to say if the C1 modem provides faster 5G speeds. He conducted speed tests in different locations in New York City and noted that only one of the tests showed the iPhone 16e performing slightly better than the iPhone 16.

In terms of actual speed measurements, Andru Edwards reported that in his suburban New York yard, the iPhone 16e reached a peak 5G download speed of 673 Mbps on the AT&T network. By comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max achieved a similar speed of 667 Mbps. In busy areas of New York City, the iPhone 16e recorded a download speed of 127 Mbps, significantly better than the 75 Mbps of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, though the Pro Max did have higher upload speeds.

In another review by Dave Lee from the Dave2D YouTube channel, comparisons showed the iPhone 16e obtaining around 30-40 Mbps faster download speeds than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, while both were connected to the Bell network in Toronto, Canada.

A more scientific approach to testing was presented by the Chinese channel Geekerwan, which evaluated various smartphones under controlled conditions using an artificial 5G network. They found that the iPhone 16e displayed similar 5G speeds and reliability to the iPhone 16 and other devices.

Apple claims that the C1 modem is the most energy-efficient modem used in any iPhone so far. The company has noted that this modem can be up to 25% more power-efficient than Qualcomm’s modems found in other iPhones. Testing by Geekerwan reflected this claim, showing that the iPhone 16e had an average power draw of 0.67 watts, while the iPhone 16 had a draw of 0.88 watts, indicating a clear improvement in efficiency.

Overall, the results from these tests are quite different from what many expected, suggesting that the C1 modem functions effectively in real-world use as well as under laboratory conditions. The feedback so far shows that users can expect solid performance from the iPhone 16e and its new modem.