Apple doesn't intend to stop at 5G connectivity. The computer manufacturer added a new chip to its list of achievements yesterday: the C1 allows the iPhone 16e to connect to 5G networks. The 01lab will obviously test the performance of this cellular chip, but it's a first step that calls for others: there's no doubt that the C1, or its variants, will equip other Apple devices. Much to the dismay of Qualcomm, which will have to give up on a very good customer.
5G is one thing, Wi-Fi is another. The C1 does not allow the iPhone 16e to connect to Wi-Fi networks. No one has been able to see the insides of the new smartphone, but it's a safe bet that Apple has slipped in a Wi-Fi chip from Broadcom. This may no longer be the case with the iPhone 17. After a probe of Apple's production line, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo assures that the 2025 iPhone range (excluding the iPhone 16e) will feature a Wi-Fi chip developed by Apple.
This would be a new bolt from the blue in the industry, especially for Broadcom, whose Wi-Fi chips have always equipped Apple smartphones. The Apple company would therefore gain independence from its supplier, which will allow it to optimize the Wi-Fi chip to the needs of its devices. Ming-Chi Kuo thus speaks of an "improved connectivity between Apple devices".
This Wi-Fi chip would be under the hood of all iPhone 17, but only the "Air" model would integrate the C1 chip for 5G. The other smartphones would continue to rely on a Qualcomm modem, probably because the C1 is not yet quite at the level of its rivals. Eventually, Apple would intend to combine cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the same chip. And why not make the Mac benefit from it?
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