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Qualcomm has provided its answer to the new Apple C1, the first cellular modem designed inhouse by Apple.
Apple C1’s modem had quietly made its long-awaited debut in the iPhone 16e handset released last month, replacing the modems it previously purchased from Qualcomm.
But now Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon has told CNBC its latest modem, the X85, will create a big distance versus Apple performance wise.
Image credit Qualcomm
Apple C1
Cellular modems are of course the key component inside smartphones that connect to mobile networks.
For years Qualcomm has been one of the biggest modem suppliers in the world, and has been the go-to company for Apple’s iPhones.
Indeed for a long while Apple was Qualcomm’s largest customer, accounting for nearly 25 percent of its revenues. But there was friction between the two firms in recent years.
Apple had sued Qualcomm in 2017, saying its licensing fees were onerous, and it began developing its own modem chips the following year.
The two companies became entangled in a range of intellectual property disputes up to 2019, when they abruptly settled their differences and agreed a new licensing deal.
Apple then purchased Intel’s 5G unit for $1 billion (£800m) in 2019 to replace the modems it buys from Qualcomm.
Apple had hoped to feature its first inhouse modem in 2021, but this deadline was pushed back by four years.
Indeed, Apple’s first modem, the C1, only arrived in February 2025 with the iPhone 16e, and Apple said the C1 modem “contributes to the extraordinary battery life” of the new handset.
Image credit Apple
Qualcomm x85
But Qualcomm is not sitting still.
This week, Qualcomm announced the X85, its latest high-end modem, which it said is “designed for the next generation of connected and AI-enabled applications, delivering faster speeds for seamless streaming, downloads and uploads, improved network reliability in congested areas, extended battery life, and enhanced location accuracy for an overall superior user experience.”
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, CEO Cristiano Amon reported touted the improved performance of the modem, suggesting it would create a big gulf between it and Apple.
“It’s the first modem that has so much AI, it actually increases the range of performance of the modem so the modem can deal with weaker signals,” Amon told CNBC.
“What that will do will set a huge delta between the performance of premium Android devices, and iOS devices, when you compare what Qualcomm can do versus what Apple is doing.”
Amon reiterated a statement he has made previously that he expects Qualcomm will not supply Apple with modems in 2027.
Addressing potential technology advances with Apple’s modem, Amon said the components will be key for AI and Qualcomm will be able to address that.
“If modem is relevant there’s always a place for Qualcomm technology,” Amon said.
“In the age of AI, modems are going to be more important than they have ever been. And I think that’s going to drive consumer preference about do they want the best possible modem in the computer that’s in their hand all the time,” Amon added.
