A recent Ookla report reveals that Apple’s first in-house 5G modem, the C1, outperforms Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X71 under certain conditions. The study compared network performance on the iPhone 16e (C1 modem) and the iPhone 16 (X71 modem) across major U.S. carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
Performance in Weak vs. Strong Signal Areas
- In low-speed conditions (10th percentile tests), the iPhone 16e achieved 27.35Mbps, surpassing the iPhone 16’s 16.66Mbps.
- The C1 modem also held a narrow lead in median-speed tests.
- However, at the 90th percentile, where network speeds are at their best, the Qualcomm-based iPhone 16 delivered higher top speeds.
- Carrier-wise analysis showed that the iPhone 16e excelled in weak-signal areas, while the iPhone 16 performed better with strong connections.
T-Mobile’s Carrier Aggregation Impact
- T-Mobile users experienced the highest downlink speeds on both devices.
- The iPhone 16e had slower speeds than the iPhone 16, likely due to T-Mobile’s 5G StandAlone (SA) networks and carrier aggregation (CA) technology.
- Apple’s C1 modem supports three-link CA, whereas the X71 supports four-link CA and uplink CA, giving it an edge in certain scenarios.
- Despite this, the iPhone 16e showed better upload speeds than the iPhone 16 across all three carriers.
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mmWave and Battery Efficiency
- The iPhone 16e lacks mmWave 5G support, but Apple is reportedly working on a variant of the C1 with mmWave compatibility.
- Since mmWave coverage remains limited, this omission has had minimal impact on real-world performance.
- Apple promotes the C1 modem as its most battery-efficient 5G chip, contributing to the iPhone 16e’s longer battery life:
- iPhone 16e: 21 hours of video streaming
- iPhone 16: 18 hours of video streaming
- This is partly due to the 16e’s larger 4,005 mAh battery, compared to the 16’s 3,561 mAh battery.
Future Comparisons & Final Notes
- Ookla noted that the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which also uses the X71 modem, outperforms the iPhone 16e in most performance tests.
- Differences may be due to antenna design or additional hardware optimizations in the Pro Max model.
- A more detailed comparison of the entire iPhone 16 lineup is expected in an upcoming Ookla report.
