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Apple’s C1, found in this year’s iPhone 16e, was a culmination of years of effort and setbacks that pushed the company to develop its own solution for greater autonomy. According to leaked code, both the iPhone 17 Air and iPhone 17e will receive an in-house baseband chip, but it remains unclear if they will use the same C1 or have an improved version.
If Apple continues using the C1 in these models, they may miss out on mmWave networks in the U.S. The leaked code from @aaronp613 reveals that Apple’s in-house 5G modem is expected for the iPhone 17 Air this year and for the iPhone 17e in 2026. For the remaining models, Apple will likely continue using Qualcomm’s modems, though there are hints they might introduce a custom Wi-Fi chip to these devices.
The C1 running in the iPhone 16e does not support mmWave networks, making Qualcomm’s Snapdragon range superior for high-end phones. Shortly after the iPhone 16e announcement, Apple began developing the C2, which supports mmWave networks.
Assuming Apple can prepare the C2 in time, it seems likely that the iPhone 17 Air will use the C1, while the iPhone 17e might get the C2. However, given Apple’s secretive nature, we may only learn the true configuration during their official announcement on September 9, as reported by German sources.
News Source: @aaronp613
