Apple’s C1 outperforms iPhone 16 with Qualcomm in most benchmarks

Apple spent many years developing the technology behind its new C1 modem. But before the iPhone 16e’s launch, expectations were that Apple’s C1 would trail Qualcomm’s own 5G modem—at least in this first version. A just-published study of real-world findings, however, tells a different story.

Study shows Apple’s C1 beats Qualcomm in key areas

Today Ookla published a study of real-world data comparing Apple’s iPhone 16e with C1 against the standard iPhone 16 with Qualcomm’s modem.

The findings were surprising.

Ookla tracked performance on the top three US carriers across three different tiers:

• 10th percentile (lowest performance experience)
• Median performance
• 90th percentile (highest performance experience)

The full data offers a nuanced picture of how each device fares against the other, but there were a number of key takeaways.

First, iPhone 16e with C1 was the clear winner in the 10th percentile.

This means that when analyzing those situations when connectivity is a struggle, and download speeds suffer, the C1 offered a better experience than Qualcomm’s modem.

Second, the opposite proved true in the 90th percentile. iPhone 16 with Qualcomm had better top download speeds across AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

However, Ookla says this is unlikely to matter as much to users:

Performance at the lowest 10th percentile often provides a more accurate reflection of overall quality of experience (QoE) than the fastest 90th percentile, which can be skewed by deployments in mmWave-covered locations and is subject to declining marginal returns.

What about median performance?

Though close, overall the edge goes to the iPhone 16e, as it offered faster median speeds across both AT&T and Verizon.

However, T-Mobile users got faster median speeds with Qualcomm than Apple’s C1.

Lastly, upload speeds were consistently faster for iPhone 16e—across all major carriers. With AT&T and Verizon the C1 offered in the ballpark of double the upload speeds of Qualcomm. On T-Mobile the C1 still had an edge, but just barely.

9to5Mac’s Take

Apple is in an interesting position with its C1 modem. On one hand, the company deserves to celebrate its achievement in creating a 5G modem that can go toe-to-toe with the market leader—and per this new data, even surpass it.

But the company is also still shipping Qualcomm modems in all of its flagship, more premium iPhones. So it probably wouldn’t go over too well if Apple started a big campaign about C1’s strengths.

Still, these findings make me very excited for the future of Apple’s modem efforts.

What are your takeaways from seeing this comparison of Apple’s C1 to Qualcomm? Let us know in the comments.

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