The most important announcement from Apple this year is not the iPhone 16e, it's the C1 modem that it carries

Apple officially presented its first internally developed 5G modem, called C1, which will be integrated into its new iPhone 16e smartphone, aimed at the audience that cannot afford a 1,000-dollar iPhone.

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This device, priced at 599 dollars, represents the first tangible result of the acquisition of Intel’s 5G modem unit, made six years ago.

Described as the “most energy-efficient modem ever created for the iPhone,” the C1 promises to deliver fast and reliable 5G connectivity. However, the company has not disclosed the specific methods that classify this modem as such.

How the C1 chip is made and what advantages it has

It is speculated that it could use custom Apple cores and a 4-nanometer manufacturing process from TSMC, optimized to reduce energy consumption.

Despite its advantages, the iPhone 16e is not compatible with high-performance technologies, such as WiFi 7 and mmWave 5G, which undermines the capabilities of this model compared to other more advanced devices.

This limitation could be linked to a strategy by Apple to minimize costs and energy consumption, while providing it with greater flexibility in negotiations with Qualcomm, one of its main suppliers so far.

It is believed that Apple will expand the use of its own modems in future devices, seeking to consolidate its technological capabilities. “C1 is just the beginning and we will continue to improve that technology in every generation,” said Johny Srouji, senior vice president of hardware technologies at Apple.

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With the A18, a more powerful processor, the iPhone 16e could be a cornerstone for Apple’s intelligence applications. The lack of certain features such as ultra-wideband connectivity or MagSafe charging in this model could be a deliberate strategy to keep the price affordable and maintain energy efficiency.