Table of ContentsTable of ContentsWhen the going gets tough, C1 risesNotching a second surprise winWhen Apple introduced the iPhone 16e a few weeks ago, one aspect that drew the most attention was its network chip. The C1 is Apples first in-house modem to appear inside an iPhone, ditching the companys total reliance on Qualcomm. However, there were also concerns about whether this modem is competitive. The folks over at the popular internet speed testing platform, Ookla, tested the Apple-designed modem and found that it beats Qualcomms solution inside the iPhone 16 at a few crucial parameters. The analysis, which lasted roughly two weeks, covered AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile cellular networks. Recommended VideosOn a general note, the iPhone 16e performed better than the iPhone 16 when tethered to AT&T and Verizon networks, while the reverse was true for T-Mobile. Ookla says the opposite T-Mobile results can be attributed to the carriers nationwide 5G standalone network (SA), while Apples C1 modem comes with limited SA compatibility.Please enable Javascript to view this contentOoklaInterestingly, the iPhone 16e fares better than the Qualcomm modem-driven iPhone 16 in scenarios where network connectivity is challenging. Ookla refers to it as the bottom 10th percentile bracket. Across all three carriers, Apples C1 modem delivered better download speeds than its Qualcomm counterpart. Even on T-Mobile waves, the iPhone 16e notched download speeds of 57.34 Mbps, while the iPhone 16 lags behind at 27.27 Mbps. But even at download speeds on the higher end, the iPhone 16e is no slouch. It notched peak downlink speeds in the range of 140-264 Mbps, which is enough for social media, streaming, and cloud gaming.The tables are flipped when it comes to peak download speeds because the Qualcomm modem offers support for the faster mmWave flavor of 5G. However, Ookla notes the lower percentile scores are the more meaningful metrics. OoklaPerformance 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, says the report.Interestingly, the iPhone 16e scored another crucial victory over the iPhone 16 at the all-too-important network metric of uplink speeds. Once again, on Verizon and AT&T networks, Apples C1 modem proved faster than Qualcomms modem, taking a lead worth up to 38% at upload speeds.OoklaThe results are remarkable, considering the fact that Qualcomms modem offers better downlink carrier aggregation than Apples C1 modem. Moreover, despite lacking support for uplink carrier aggregation tech, the iPhone 16e was still able to outperform the iPhone 16 at upload speeds. Another independent test highlighted that the C1 modem was more energy efficient than Qualcomms option, which means the connectivity tax on the battery is lower. Moreover, the smaller size of its in-house modem allowed Apple to offer more battery juice on the affordable iPhone 16e than the pricier models in the iPhone 16 series. Editors Recommendations