Apple launches iPhone 16e with in-house C1 cellular modem

Apple announced the iPhone 16e, its latest lower-cost model, on Wednesday. It will retail for $599 from February 28. The SE model has major changes, including replacing the home button with FaceID and Apple Intelligence.

It is powered by the A18 chip—the same as the iPhone 16 models—and the 16e can run all the latest apps and games. It comes in black and white and features Apple’s first in-house cellular modem, the C1, replacing Qualcomm’s.

Apple has relied on Qualcomm’s chips for its iPhones’ cellular connectivity for years.

The tech giant wants to make its own chips and hopes to save billions it pays Qualcomm.

The two companies have a rocky history
The iPhone maker sued Qualcomm in 2017, accusing it of charging unfair royalties. Apart from paying for Qualcomm’s modems, Apple pays an additional $5 to $6 per phone for the wireless licenses.

Though they settled in 2019, Apple immediately began developing its own modem by acquiring Intel’s modem division.

Apple has aced the game by making its own processing chips, the brains of any phone, computer, or tablet. Its progress with the cellular chips, which enable phone calls and internet on the devices, is slow.

It has struggled to match Qualcomm’s wireless speeds and compatibility with global networks.

The C1 modem performance in real-world conditions will decide whether Apple will likely use it in its next iPhone, the iPhone 17.