Apple and Qualcomm's relationship has been strained for a decade and the iPhone 16e C1 chip is Apple's first move to cut ties once and for all.

Phone 17 5G modems will be made by MediaTek, as Apple moves away from Qualcomm. Future iPhones will use Apple's solutions instead.

It took Apple a big acquisition and many years, but it finally developed a modem worth replacing Qualcomm's with — what does that mean for Android?

At the heart of the system, the C1 (Cellular 1) chip first appears in the iPhone 16e. It is also expected to debut in other Apple devices in the coming months and will likely see use across all or most of the iPhone range by this time next year. Apple calls it “the most power efficient modem ever in an iPhone.”

Apple has finally introduced its first in-house modem alongside iPhone 16e, the C1, marking a major shift in its hardware strategy.

Apple has unveiled the iPhone 16e featuring the company's first in-house developed 5G modem chip, named the Apple C1. The new modem, which the company claims is the most energy-efficient 5G modem available in smartphones,

Apple plans to move away from Qualcomm modems in the Apple Watch while bolstering its new in-house alternatives, according to The

The custom modem in the iPhone 16e lays the groundwork for future Apple projects, as the company intends to use its proprietary modems across future products.