Overview

• Real-world trials on T-Mobile’s sub-6GHz 5G network in New York City showed Snapdragon X75 and X80 modems delivering up to 35% faster downloads and 91% faster uploads than the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem.
• Testers reported the iPhone 16e became noticeably hot and triggered aggressive screen dimming within minutes, raising concerns about C1’s thermal management under load.
• Cellular Insights conducted the study at Qualcomm’s request, a factor some analysts say could introduce bias given the lab’s limited published work since 2017.
• Despite Tim Cook’s claim that C1 is the most energy-efficient modem ever in an iPhone, emerging data suggest its power consumption may be undermining real-world performance.
• Apple is already developing next-generation C2 modems as it seeks to narrow the gap and eventually replace Qualcomm’s chips, which currently account for roughly 20% of Qualcomm’s revenue.