Kuo: Apple is developing an updated C1 modem chip for mass production in 2026 with mmWave support and improved power consumption and transmission speed
Apple is developing a “refreshed” version of its C1 modem for mass production next year that will improve power consumption and transmission speed …
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple introduced C1 as its first in-house cellular modem, explicitly positioning it as a replacement for Qualcomm components in at least some devices. This report advances that effort from an initial launch toward a second-generation in-house modem roadmap.
The update also aligns with coverage that Apple plans to bring its own Wi-Fi chips across the iPhone 17 range while limiting C1 use to one model, making connectivity silicon a broader internal-design program rather than a single-chip substitution.
First-order effects
- Apple’s reported 2026 C1 refresh would add mmWave support while targeting better power use and transmission speed, expanding the capabilities of its first in-house cellular modem.
- The work gives Apple a path to move C1 beyond the limited deployment described in prior coverage, though the report does not establish which products will receive the updated chip.
Second-order effects
- A more capable C1 would strengthen Apple’s ability to replace externally supplied modem functions across additional device tiers over time; Qualcomm faces a potentially smaller role only if Apple scales that transition.
- Coupling the modem roadmap with Apple’s planned in-house Wi-Fi rollout concentrates more connectivity design decisions inside Apple, increasing the importance of its chip-validation and integration work.
Third-order effects
- If successive C1 generations meet Apple’s performance and radio-support targets, cellular and Wi-Fi silicon could become a more unified part of Apple’s custom-chip stack rather than a set of externally sourced components.
- The transition remains gradual: earlier reporting anticipated a multi-year rollout, so supplier displacement and product-wide adoption depend on execution across successive modem generations.
The trend: Apple is extending its custom-silicon strategy from core processors into connectivity components, using iterative modem releases to reduce reliance on outside chip suppliers.