Overview

• A Cellular Insights report funded by Qualcomm shows Android phones with Snapdragon X75 and X80 modems achieved up to 35% faster download speeds and 91% faster upload speeds than the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem on T-Mobile’s sub-6 GHz network in New York City.
• The performance gap widened in dense urban environments, indoor locations and areas farther from cell towers where network conditions typically challenge 5G connections.
• Testers observed the iPhone 16e becoming noticeably hot to the touch and its screen dimming aggressively within two-minute intervals during sustained data transfers.
• Qualcomm’s commissioning of the study underscores its shift away from iPhone modem revenue but raises potential bias questions around methodology and interpretation.
• Apple continues investing in in-house modem technology and is already developing a next-generation C2 chip aimed at improving speeds, efficiency and thermal control.