Apple’s 5G modem grows up: real‑world parity with Qualcomm is finally here
Apple’s long, long journey toward building its own 5G modem was well storied, lengthy, and fraught. The company did though eventually achieve its goal and has now reached its second-generation with the C1X modem.
Apple’s modem team have achieved so much
This is a great result, according to Ookla’s tests – not only is this modem on par with Qualcomm’s widely-used X80-modem for downloads, it’s also way better than its competitor when it comes to latency.
In other words, Apple has achieved a tour de force all over again. These claims rest on global Ookla Speedtest data which analyzes the real-world performance of Apple’s custom C1X modem in the iPhone Air, but the big thing is in the early paragraphs, which state:
What Ookla said
“The C1X elevates Apple’s in-house RF capabilities to tier 1 status. Data from Q4 2025 unequivocally demonstrates that Apple’s in-house C1X modem represents a generational leap over the previous C1 model. Our data indicates that it has achieved real-world parity in download and latency performance with the Qualcomm X80 across numerous networks in both ideal and challenging conditions, proving the silicon is a performance equalizer rather than a compromise.”
This is good, and while Qualcomm’s X85 modem is now on the block, it’s probable Apple has its own plans for C2 come fall, so the difference between them is shrinking.
Apple also benefits from tight integration, which makes the user experience much snappier. It is also interesting to note that the iPhone Air now grabs 6.8% of the test results, compared to the 2.9% occupied by the iPhone Plus it replaced. This suggests stronger-than-reported sales of the device.
Carrier aggregation, the new frontier
Apple does still have some work to do, according to Ookla, as the Qualcomm X80-equipped iPhone 17 Pro Max maintained up to a 32% lead in upload speeds, “highlighting that Apple’s cellular modem may be held back by limited uplink carrier aggregation capability.” That can only change in time.
The report is packed with interesting data for network engineers and concludes: “The introduction of the iPhone Air and its C1X modem confirms that Apple’s custom RF silicon is no longer a work in progress, achieving real-world download parity with the Qualcomm X80 in the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and outpacing it on latency.”
What to expect?
It warns that Apple’s immediate engineering hurdle “remains mastering complex uplink carrier aggregation,” before pointing out that the “power efficiency and architectural integration demonstrated by the C1X sets the stage for the long-rumored ‘Always-Connected MacBook.’”
Which seems to me to be a good solid prediction for a future Mac around 2030, once 6G with its enhanced support for satellite communications appears.
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