Apple's First In-House 5G Modem Holds Its Own Against Qualcomm, But Lags on Advanced Networks [Report]

Ookla has analyzed the real-world performance of Apple's first in-house modem, finding that the C1 chip in the iPhone 16e performs comparably to the Qualcomm modem in the iPhone 16 across most markets. However, the Qualcomm chip still holds an edge on more advanced 5G networks.

The analysis, based on Speedtest Intelligence data from Q2 and Q3 2025, builds on Ookla's March comparison. It comes as Apple prepares for its September 9 event, where the iPhone 17 Air is rumored to debut with Apple's modem technology.






According to Ookla, the Apple C1 modem matched or exceeded the Qualcomm modem in many of the 21 markets studied. In Spain, for instance, the iPhone 16e delivered a median download speed of 139.88 Mbps, ahead of the iPhone 16's 110.38 Mbps. By contrast, in markets with advanced 5G networks such as Saudi Arabia, the iPhone 16 pulled ahead, reaching 353.49 Mbps compared to the 16e's 295.01 Mbps.

Ookla attributes the gap to technical limitations of Apple's first-generation C1 modem. On T-Mobile in the U.S., for example, the iPhone 16's support for four-carrier aggregation (combining more spectrum bands for higher speeds) allowed it to record a median download speed of 317.64 Mbps, compared to 252.80 Mbps for the iPhone 16e, which supports up to three-carrier aggregation.

While Qualcomm led on peak download performance, Ookla found the iPhone 16e stronger in other areas. It often delivered higher speeds for users in the 10th percentile—those with the weakest signals—and outperformed the iPhone 16 in median upload speeds in 15 of the 21 markets studied. This suggests the C1 modem may be better optimized for reliability, squeezing out more throughput when coverage is marginal.


The report also notes Apple's broader silicon strategy, pointing to the company's work on a new in-house Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, codenamed "Proxima," which could appear in future devices to improve performance and battery efficiency.

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