Apple pulled out a major trump card when it announced the iPhone Air, and instead of one of its specifications mentioning the same C1 5G modem found in the iPhone 16e, the sleek flagship flaunts a new and improved C1X baseband chip that is worthy of its premium status. Unfortunately, if you were hoping to experience those blistering-fast mmWave 5G speeds on Apple’s thinnest iPhone, you will be disappointed, because, just like the first in-house wireless chip, the new device misses out on this feature. However, this configuration might become a blessing in disguise because the C1X’s integration with the iPhone Air’s N1 could result in exceptional battery life.
Despite lacking mmWave 5G support, Apple claims the C1X is faster than the iPhone 16 Pro’s Snapdragon X75 while consuming less power
The entire iPhone 17 family is equipped with the N1 wireless networking chip, but a difference between the three models and the iPhone Air is that they support mmWave 5G networks. The C1X is limited to sub-6GHz bands, but that does not make it any less inferior because Apple claims that not only is the C1's successor faster than the Snapdragon X75 running in the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max from last year, but it also consumes 30 percent less power.
The Cupertino firm has said that the C1X is the most power-efficient modem in an iPhone, and combining this baseband chip with the N1 on the 5.6mm flagship, we are looking at potentially insane runtime sessions. The company has said that the iPhone Air boasts an all-day battery life, with video playback lasting up to 27 hours, making it a whole hour more than the iPhone 16e. It is possible that the seamless hardware and software integration of the N1 and C1X could enable better endurance from the iPhone Air, though we have to wait for future in-depth comparisons.
Shortly after the iPhone 16e and C1 announcements, it was rumored that Apple had already kicked off development of the C2 5G modem, but the C1X was definitely a huge surprise, highlighting that the company can continue to keep things under wraps in this day and age where information can leak through without a moment’s notice. Perhaps next year, Apple will finally embrace mmWave 5G connectivity on the C2 and make the latter a standard for the iPhone 18 launch.
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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