Overview

• All iPhone 17 models ship with Apple’s N1 networking silicon supporting Wi‑Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread, with Apple touting more reliable AirDrop and Personal Hotspot.
• The iPhone Air introduces the C1X 5G modem, which Apple says is up to twice as fast as C1 and about 30% more energy‑efficient, though it still lacks mmWave support.
• The iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max support both sub‑6GHz and mmWave 5G, distinguishing their network capabilities from the Air’s sub‑6GHz‑only design.
• Recent Ookla analyses of the earlier C1 in iPhone 16e found carrier‑dependent results, including lower median downloads on T‑Mobile versus Qualcomm (317.64 Mbps vs 252.80 Mbps) but stronger upload and weak‑signal performance in many markets.
• Apple claims the C1X outpaces the iPhone 16 Pro’s Qualcomm modem on the same cellular technologies and helps the Air reach up to 27 hours of video playback, with preorders set for September 12 and retail availability on September 19.