Here's How the iPhone 16e's C1 Modem Stacks Up Against the iPhone 16 Qualcomm Modem

The iPhone 16e includes Apple's first custom-designed C1 modem, and since it's a new chip category for Apple, there have been questions about how the C1 measures up to the Qualcomm modems that Apple has been using for years. As it turns out, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ performs almost as well or better than the iPhone 16 in many speed tests that compare sub-6GHz performance, but it does vary by network.

apple c1
According to cellular performance data shared by Ookla, Verizon and AT&T ‌iPhone 16e‌ users saw better median download speeds than ‌iPhone 16‌ users, but T-Mobile users saw slightly higher median download speeds with the ‌iPhone 16‌ than the ‌iPhone 16e‌.

When looking at the highest speeds across carriers, the ‌iPhone 16‌ wins out over the ‌iPhone 16e‌ because the ‌iPhone 16e‌ does not have mmWave 5G support. The ‌iPhone 16e‌ cannot connect to the fastest mmWave 5G networks, and it is limited to sub-6GHz connectivity. mmWave is found in urban areas and is less widespread than sub-6GHz.

ookla iphone 16e modem test download
In situations where connectivity was poor, the ‌iPhone 16e‌ outperformed the ‌iPhone 16‌.

Ookla's test revealed that T-Mobile users with an ‌iPhone 16e‌ saw median download speeds of 264.71 Mb/s, while users with an ‌iPhone 16‌ saw median download speeds of 357.47, a 24 percent increase in speed. According to Ookla, the ‌iPhone 16e‌'s underperformance on the T-Mobile network could be due to T-Mobile's 5G standalone network and advanced features like carrier aggregation.

For Verizon users, download speeds were low for both the ‌iPhone 16e‌ and the ‌iPhone 16‌, which seems to be a network issue. ‌iPhone 16e‌ users saw median download speeds of 140.77 Mb/s on Verizon. ‌iPhone 16‌ download speeds were even lower at 124.4 Mb/s.

As for AT&T users, median download speeds for the ‌iPhone 16e‌ were at 226.9 Mb/s, and 146.49 for the ‌iPhone 16‌.

The ‌iPhone 16e‌ outperformed the ‌iPhone 16‌ in upload speeds across all carriers, with the most notable difference on the Verizon and AT&T networks. T-Mobile was the fastest network overall for both the ‌iPhone 16e‌ and the ‌iPhone 16‌ in download and upload speeds.

ookla iphone 16e modem test upload
With the C1 modem, Apple was able to increase efficiency, and it draws less power than Qualcomm modems. Apple says the C1 is the most efficient modem that's ever been used in an iPhone, and the ‌iPhone 16e‌ does indeed have longer battery life than the ‌iPhone 16‌.

The C1 modem is Apple's first step toward independence from Qualcomm, and Apple has long been aiming to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm technology. Apple is already working on the C2 modem for future devices, and it is expected to include mmWave 5G support.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16e
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16e (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
ipad air magic keyboard feature

iPadOS 19 Rumored to Show Mac-Like Menu Bar When Connected to Magic Keyboard

Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu. This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...

Top Rated Comments

jz0309 Avatar
6 weeks ago
Great results, excellent work by Apple on the C1!
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
6 weeks ago

It’s comparing them with a two generations older modem chipset from Qualcomm ?
It’s comparing current Apple offerings.
Most smartphone users haven’t even heard the name Qualcomm and are very happy with their cellular connectivity.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrWojtek Avatar
6 weeks ago

It’s comparing them with a two generations older modem chipset from Qualcomm ?
Yeah, first gen modem ever from a company that does not even have modems as main business, is on par with 2 years old modem from company who’ve done modems for decades, while being more efficient. Apple is absolutely pwning.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
6 weeks ago

I don’t care much either but those numbers are misleading in favor of Apple.
They’re not misleading at all, they’re comparing current Apple offerings, how is that misleading??
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McKodiak Avatar
6 weeks ago
We have cellular network speeds that are so fast that it's not even noticeable for most use cases. It was wise to prioritize improving the worst cellular connection data rates before trying to improve the best connections.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AppleFeller Avatar
6 weeks ago
Everyone so quick to go say but Qualcomm has better new modems not in use by Apple.

That’s irrelevant to the fact that in worst case signal testing the 16e was almost double the speed of the 16. That is huge and could be the difference between being able to still use a phone or not in terms of data connectivity.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)