Apple Reportedly Developing Refreshed C1 Modem With mmWave Support for iPhone

A refreshed model of Apple’s C1 modem is claimed to be in growth which provides a key performance lacking from the present mannequin, as per the claims by an trade analyst. Introduced with the iPhone 16e final month, the C1 is the Cupertino-based expertise large’s first-ever proprietary mobile modem which probably reduces the corporate’s dependency on Qualcomm. However, it isn’t with out its caveats. A look on the iPhone 16e’s specs reveals that the cellphone lacks mmWave help on account of this modem, however that will quickly change.

mmWave Support on Apple’s C1 Modem

According to TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, C1 modem’s structure on the iPhone 16e includes a 4nm or 5nm baseband, 7nm low-frequency transceivers, 7nm transreceivers for rapid frequency, and a 55nm Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC). It solely helps as much as sub-6GHz 5G.

Although the corporate claims C1 to be the “most power-efficient modem ever”, the dearth of mmWave, which is the extraordinarily excessive frequency (EHF) band, probably ends in slower obtain and add speeds. To handle this, Apple is claimed to be growing its successor. Kuo claims the refreshed model of the C1 modem is unlikely to undertake a 3nm baseband on account of it not being essentially the most power-hungry part in a modem.

To allow mmWave help, Apple is predicted so as to add transreceivers and front-end elements primarily based on a 28nm node. The analyst emphasises that whereas including mmWave help to this modem is not significantly a difficult course of, balancing between a secure efficiency and low energy consumption stays a hurdle.

While Kuo didn’t reveal which iPhone the brand new modem could possibly be featured in, Apple was beforehand reported to additionally embrace the C1 modem within the purported iPhone 17 Air. If this cellphone will get the refreshed variant, customers could possibly benefit from the quickest potential obtain and add 5G speeds courtesy of mmWave help, relying on the supply within the area.