A brand new Qualcomm research suggests the corporate’s modems outperform Apple’s first in-house modem chip, the C1 — significantly in difficult city community circumstances.
The analysis from Mobile Insights, funded by Qualcomm, examined the iPhone 16e — Apple’s first system to characteristic the corporate’s homegrown C1 modem — in opposition to Android smartphones powered by Qualcomm chips on T-Cell’s 5G community in New York Metropolis.
Qualcomm modem research: Efficiency gaps emerge in dense city environments
The C1 is Cupertino’s first in-house modem chip mannequin, deployed within the glossy and inexpensive iPhone 16e as a part of the iPhone big’s broader technique to scale back dependence on suppliers, giving it higher management over options, prices and product roadmaps. Upon its launch, Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner touted it because the most energy-efficient modem ever in an iPhone, not the perfect ever.
The C1 regarded good in opposition to iPhone 16’s Qualcomm chip in early impartial testing. As extra superior fashions observe, efficiency (and possibly market dominance) ought to improve, Apple-style.
In accordance with the brand new Qualcomm modem research outcomes, iPhone 16e confirmed vital efficiency deficits in comparison with equally priced Android units utilizing Qualcomm modems, Bloomberg reported. The Android telephones demonstrated obtain speeds as much as 35% quicker and add speeds as much as 91% quicker than Apple’s system.
The research confirmed the efficiency hole turned extra pronounced in eventualities that sometimes problem mobile connections: busy networks, indoor environments and places farther from cell towers. These are exactly the circumstances the place customers most want dependable, quick connectivity for streaming, video calls and data-intensive purposes.
“For customers working in dense city, indoor or uplink-intensive environments, the advantages of higher 5G efficiency within the Android smartphones isn’t just theoretical — it’s quantifiable, repeatable and operationally vital,” the report stated.
Warmth and throttling considerations
Past pace variations, the research raised considerations concerning the iPhone 16e‘s thermal administration. Researchers famous that the system turned “noticeably sizzling to the touch and exhibited aggressive display screen dimming inside simply two-minute take a look at intervals” throughout testing.
If true and replicated in different research, this means the C1 modem could also be much less energy-efficient than Apple initially claimed, doubtlessly impacting each efficiency and consumer expertise.
Excessive stakes for each firms
This technological rivalry carries vital monetary implications. Qualcomm has traditionally derived roughly 20% of its income from Apple, serving because the unique modem provider for iPhone fashions previous to the iPhone 16e launch earlier this 12 months. The chipmaker expects this income stream to ultimately disappear as Apple expands its in-house modem deployment throughout extra units.
Apple has not but responded to requests for remark concerning the research’s findings. Whereas the analysis gives helpful efficiency knowledge, iPhone customers ought to contemplate that Qualcomm funded the research, doubtlessly introducing bias in methodology or interpretation.
As Apple continues growing its modem know-how, future iterations might tackle the efficiency gaps recognized on this evaluation.
