Apple's latest silicon chip in the iPhone 16e is an exciting first step in a push to control the entire wireless stack in its devices.

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 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.