Apple has just introduced the iPhone 16E, a spiritual successor to the iPhone SE line that has a significant first: it introduces Apple’s long-awaited in-house 5G modem called the C1. The chip, which Apple says is the most power-efficient modem in a phone, is Apple’s bid to end its reliance on Qualcomm’s 5G chips.

If you go by definition, Apple's new C1 chip isn't the sexiest thing in the world. Per Apple, it's "the first modem designed by Apple." Given that all previous iPhones also had some sort of modem chip inside — for example,

Apple's iPhone 16e marks the end of an era, but the C1 modem signals the beginning of Apple untangling itself from Qualcomm.

For example, in a congested network area, the A18 chip in the iPhone 16e can instruct the C1 modem to dynamically manage traffic, prioritizing your needs in real-time. If you’re trying to send a photo or video to someone, for instance, the A18 will tell the C1 to prioritize that network traffic over other data tasks.

Most of Apple's iPhone 17 lineup won't be using its new C1 modem, Ming-Chi Kuo claims, but they will still benefit from a new in-house Wi-Fi chip design.

Phone 17 5G modems will be made by MediaTek, as Apple moves away from Qualcomm. Future iPhones will use Apple's solutions instead.

The iPhone 17 Air could be the only model to feature Apple’s in-house C1 modem. Here’s what we know so far.

There’s a lot to like about Apple’s newest $599 iPhone 16e, but one of the more interesting features in the device is the Apple-designed 5G modem. Apple has spent at least seven years developing the chip,

Apple's first custom-designed modem chip, the C1, has finally made its debut in the iPhone 16e, which Apple announced on Wednesday. It's

Apple and Qualcomm's relationship has been strained for a decade and the iPhone 16e C1 chip is Apple's first move to cut ties once and for all.