In the ebb and flow of tariffs unleashed by the Trump administration, one new technology is not being discussed enough — the Apple-designed C1 modem, which is found on the new iPhone 16e that we have been playing around with for a few weeks. You have already read our overall review but the focus here are two Cs — C1 modem and camera.
Why C1 matters
When it comes to a new chip or processor, users can easily distinguish between the old and new by the time taken to complete tasks. The modem is a different game. It is in many ways responsible for putting the ‘phone’ in the iPhone. Most users have no idea what kind of modem their phone has. They just want to be assured that they enjoy strong network signals to make voice or video calls sound good. A well-designed modem can offer more than just stable connectivity.
Having an in-house modem reflects on battery life and general connectivity. We used the iPhone 16e, which has the new C1 modem and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which comes with a Qualcomm modem. In short, the Qualcomm modem continues to perform very well when it comes to peak performance, which is what you get when there is a strong signal. The Apple modem achieves a significant victory when you look at areas with poor reception.
The iPhone 16e’s rear camera uses a 48MP sensor that combines pixels to help it better gather light.
While travelling through rural Bengal or congested areas of Calcutta, the iPhone 16e managed to cling to the network very well… better than the iPhone 16 Pro Max at times.
If you look at connectivity on Vodafone, Jio and Airtel, the iPhone 16e constantly performed well on the first two while Qualcomm did slightly well on Airtel.
Why should we care about it? Some tech enthusiasts on X/Twitter have said that Apple has come up with its own modem to reduce the fees it gives to Qualcomm. The story is far bigger than that. It has to do with what Apple wants to do in the future.
Qualcomm has a number of patents, so Apple may have to pay some fees to Qualcomm. What Apple now has is more control over how iPhones are produced and exactly what they can do.
Perhaps the reason why the C1 modem made its debut in the entry-level iPhone is because Apple has a chance to test it out among a large audience before taking the next step.
The new C1 modem doesn’t have a slower overall performance. It is full of potential for future products.
First, the C1 modem can talk directly with the processor. Your modem can call the processor when the network is congested. Your processor can then tell the modem which data is most important and to prioritise. The result on the user side of things — even in poor network conditions — is that your phone feels nimble. It doesn’t get bogged down by random background tasks. There is now tighter integration between hardware and software.
Next, consider battery life. The C1 is far more power-efficient and delivers at least four more hours of use when compared to iPhone 16.
There’s excellent 4K video recording, optical image stabilisation, and reliable colour reproduction.
You could be excited about the modem showing up in more Apple devices. But don’t expect this to happen immediately.
The opportunity C1 presents is newer form factors. If Apple wants to build a phone that’s slimmer, the in-house modem will help. Further, in slimmer phones battery life is incredibly important. The modem will be key to keeping the phone running all day.
Knowing how Apple works, it is reportedly at work on the successor to C1. These are the ones more likely to show up in future iPhones and improve battery life further.
Lack of mmWave or the 5G with gigabit-territory throughput? Not many are bothered by it. The C1 has been years in the making with Apple having bought Intel’s cell modem business in 2019.
Power of one
We are used to seeing iPhones with at least two cameras. It’s down to one on the iPhone 16e. The question is simple: Is it good enough?
Here's what you don’t get: There is no ultra-wide lens or telephoto option. Further, you don’t get Apple ProRAW or ProRes Log recording of videos (reserved for the Pro lineup). And no Action mode.
All of this doesn’t make it a doom-and-gloom situation. The main camera is 48MP Fusion: 26 mm, f/1.6 aperture, optical image stabilisation, Hybrid Focus Pixels, offering super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP).
Living life with one camera is not a problem. Over the last few weeks, we took a lot of photos to test out the camera and it’s more than enough for most users. Unless you are someone who likes to visually document everything — old houses to landscapes — the single-camera setup works.
Having the 2x crop means one can zoom into photos without sacrificing too much on quality. The main sensor delivers photos that are pretty familiar to any iPhone user, that is, what you get on any other iPhone 16 devices.
Using that one camera on the back, you get the maximum out of photos. Colours pop and everything looks vibrant. The front-facing camera works like it should — perfect selfies and skin tones, even with tough dynamic lighting situations.
Make the call with the two Cs
For most people, a single rear camera is enough. These are users who want to take memorable photos but care more about performance. And that is delivered in oodles using the A18 chip combined with Apple’s C1 modem. The modem is the clear winner — it’s reliable and offers the shape of things to come.