iPhone 16e C1 modem: performance is lacking… results so far.

[Bungaree.Chubbins]

The thing that surprises me the most in this thread is how bent out of shape people are getting over the fact that some people use their phone as a hotspot. I don't need to do it much anymore since I now have a stable 25Mbps fixed connection, but I'd been doing it for years with no problem. If tethering performance is an important criterion for OP, then that's what he needs to make his decision on!

I'm interested to see how the performance of C1 and its successors goes. Its performance is not well understood yet, and I think it might take a little while before enough data is gathered to make accurate judgements.

 

[arc of the universe]

to compare iPhone 14's Qualcomm modem with apple's C1 chipped modem in the iPhone 16e is actually an interesting comparison.

on balance, its amazing that apple was even able to come up with a creditable modem when compared with any Qualcomm modem. some day i hope we get to hear about the incredible work it took on apple's side to successfully make this modem.
it bodes well for later iterations of C1.

i think the lesson we can take away from the original poster's experience is that mission critical modem capability is still very much a Qualcomm strength. apple's probable intent was always to be just in the same ball park as Qualcomm on this, while improving on Qualcomm's massive power consumption requirements (in actual mobile phone environments - roaming from cell phone tower to cell phone tower).

 

[TechnoMonk]

to compare iPhone 14's Qualcomm modem with apple's C1 chipped modem in the iPhone 16e is actually an interesting comparison.

on balance, its amazing that apple was even able to come up with a creditable modem when compared with any Qualcomm modem. some day i hope we get to hear about the incredible work it took on apple's side to successfully make this modem.
it bodes well for later iterations of C1.

i think the lesson we can take away from the original poster's experience is that mission critical modem capability is still very much a Qualcomm strength. apple's probable intent was always to be just in the same ball park as Qualcomm on this, while improving on Qualcomm's massive power consumption requirements (in actual mobile phone environments - roaming from cell phone tower to cell phone tower).

Apple chose to launch their modem on the low end phone. If some one needs a hotspot at high speed buy flagship or mid tier iPhone. Apple will slowly roll out and probably a 3rd gen modem will replace Qualcomm in most iPhone models.

 

[Kiteskip]

Upgraded from iPhone 14 Pro to iPhone 16e and I’m really disappointed with the down/upload speeds. Connected to the same network, speeds are as follows:

iPhone 14 Pro
Down - 550mbps
Up - 45mbps

iPhone 16e
Down - 200mbps
Up - 3mbps (yes three)

Could the phone be still indexing in the background or?

As I use my phone to hotspot all through the house, the performance is extremely important. At the minute it’s lacklustre. Any ideas?

Sorry, you lost me at 14 “Pro” to 16 “e” as an upgrade. 🥴

 

[ShabbaRanks]

Check with your carrier.

It has nothing to do with the carrier. No European carriers use mmWave. We use 5G which is the evolution from 4G and 3G. We don’t have to get bogged down in those different types of 5G discussions that Americans do. Over here 5G is simply 5G.

 

[Howard2k]

It has nothing to do with the carrier. No European carriers use mmWave. We use 5G which is the evolution from 4G and 3G. We don’t have to get bogged down in those different types of 5G discussions that Americans do. Over here 5G is simply 5G.

For now. mmWave is coming soon.

 

[TechnoMonk]

It has nothing to do with the carrier. No European carriers use mmWave. We use 5G which is the evolution from 4G and 3G. We don’t have to get bogged down in those different types of 5G discussions that Americans do. Over here 5G is simply 5G.

Carrier settings and updates make huge difference, it’s not all about mmWave.

 

[n-evo]

Over here 5G is simply 5G.

How it’s being communicated to the end-user: yes, maybe. Technically: no.

 

[onthebuses]

Number one, the first reply to this thread and all the likes it got, that is pure fandom beyond the pale.

Second, the Three network in the UK is terrible and when I had it, it always was jumping in speed, most of the time it was awful. You need to do the test with a proper network like EE or Vodafone.

 

[myhaksown]

16e outperforms 14 Pro in CPU and GPU tests.

It’s best if you stick to watching TikTok videos on your phone. You have no clue what you are talking about.

Yeah because it’s 2.5 years newer and is basically the same class as the 14 pros since we didn’t have “pro” mobile processors on the 14. So yeah of course the cpu and GPU would be faster it’s the same lineup from the same company. But you’re complaining about the cellular modem speed not the cpu and GPU. It’s a first gen modem from Apple so no surprise it’s not gonna run as fast as the top end from Qualcomm, an established designer of cellular chips. You were using what’s effectively a beta run for Apple.

If it were a Qualcomm chip you could make direct comparisons and reasonably expect a newer chip with similar or better performance. But you weren’t, you were using a first gen chip, from a different manufacturer, on a budget model. So yeah, no big surprise if it has inconsistent performance or just lower performance in general. Also it seems Jpack came with receipts on the c1 performance.

So if making rude jabs helps you sleep better at night then go for it. But it won’t endear you to anyone.

 

[JPack]

For now. mmWave is coming soon.

No other country in the world is deploying mmW in any serious manner. It's a dead end tech. Even Apple realized that and deleted it from iPad Pro.

5G Advanced (5.5G) is what's being adopted on roadmaps.

 

[Howard2k]

No other country in the world is deploying mmW in any serious manner. It's a dead end tech. Even Apple realized that and deleted it from iPad Pro.

5G Advanced (5.5G) is what's being adopted on roadmaps.

mmWave is a frequency band and is used in both 5G and 5.5G. It’s a critical building block.

Some countries that are not the US and are deploying mmWave include Canada, Spain, S Korea, India, Germany, UK, and France.

 

[JPack]

mmWave is a frequency band and is used in both 5G and 5.5G. It’s a critical building block.

Some countries that are not the US and are deploying mmWave include Canada, Spain, S Korea, India, Germany, UK, and France.

It's not used in most parts of the world because of physics. Carriers don't want to deploy something where the signal doesn't pass through a building.

mmW is not being deployed in any meaningful manner outside the U.S. The fact that no phones outside the U.S. have mmW already tells you that. How many years since iPhone 12 was launched with 5G? Canadian iPhones don't have it. Korean market Samsung Galaxy S25 don't have it.

5G-A focuses on MIMO and CAA.

 

[Howard2k]

It's not used in most parts of the world because of physics. Carriers don't want to deploy something where the signal doesn't pass through a building.

mmW is not being deployed in any meaningful manner outside the U.S. The fact that no phones outside the U.S. have mmW already tells you that. How many years since iPhone 12 was launched with 5G? Canadian iPhones don't have it. Korean market Samsung Galaxy S25 don't have it.

5G-A focuses on MIMO and CAA.

But it's happening. Agreed it won't be nationwide rural mmWave deployments, but that's not what mmWave is for. It is being tested and rolled out though. Slowly.

 

[JPack]

But it's happening. Agreed it won't be nationwide rural mmWave deployments, but that's not what mmWave is for. It is being tested and rolled out though. Slowly.

It’s literally not, especially not in the context you responded to, for iPhones and smartphones in Europe and worldwide.

The only scenarios where mmWave makes sense is for rural Internet deployments, to replace cable or fiber optic as it’s cheaper. Because there’s line of sight and no buildings in the way.

Nobody in the world is growing mmWave for smartphone users. In fact, some carriers in the U.S. are giving up mmW licenses because it’s useless as it needs line of sight.

T-Mobile relinquishes mmWave spectrum 'not feasible' to deploy

T-Mobile owns county-sized mmWave spectrum licenses in many big US cities. But the company is now giving back some of that spectrum to the FCC while retaining only the small chunks that cover downtown areas.

www.lightreading.com

About 8-10 years ago, mmWave was pushed because of political reasons. Today, the technical and practical reality has spoken.

 

[Howard2k]

It’s literally not, especially not in the context you responded to, for iPhones and smartphones in Europe and worldwide.

The only scenarios where mmWave makes sense is for rural Internet deployments, to replace cable or fiber optic as it’s cheaper. Because there’s line of sight and no buildings in the way.

Nobody in the world is growing mmWave for smartphone users. In fact, some carriers in the U.S. are giving up mmW licenses because it’s useless as it needs line of sight.

T-Mobile relinquishes mmWave spectrum 'not feasible' to deploy

T-Mobile owns county-sized mmWave spectrum licenses in many big US cities. But the company is now giving back some of that spectrum to the FCC while retaining only the small chunks that cover downtown areas.

www.lightreading.com

About 8-10 years ago, mmWave was pushed because of political reasons. Today, the technical and practical reality has spoken.

I don't think so. I think we'll see it in high density environments. Stadiums are perfect. In Canada that is where it was been tested. Stadiums and campuses. But Canada has not completed the spectrum auctions. T-Mobile keeping their downtown mmWave coverage is also telling, I think.

Spain has completed the spectrum auctions and the first deployment was also a dense environment (conference centre).

You might be right though. Time will tell. It'll be interesting either way.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

I don't think so. I think we'll see it in high density environments. Stadiums are perfect. …

Exactly!

 

[huanbrother]

what is the benefit you are going to achieve with 550mbps when compared to 200 mbps?

webpages, youtube videos, social media will load with a difference of secs.

The uplink also matters.

 

[JPack]

I don't think so. I think we'll see it in high density environments. Stadiums are perfect. In Canada that is where it was been tested. Stadiums and campuses. But Canada has not completed the spectrum auctions. T-Mobile keeping their downtown mmWave coverage is also telling, I think.

Spain has completed the spectrum auctions and the first deployment was also a dense environment (conference centre).

You might be right though. Time will tell. It'll be interesting either way.

Stadiums are the example provided by everyone but rarely deployed in reality. This is because mmWave requires 10-20x more cell sites compared to mid-band 5G. The human body literally can easily stop mmW signals. Keep in mind mid-band can match mmW's high-density, high-throughput performance via MIMO and CA. This is why 5G Advanced focuses on these two features.

No carrier in Canada has any plans to deploy mmW for smartphone applications. Once again, it's for fixed wireless access (FWA) in rural communities. Basically, wireless home Internet instead of laying down copper and fiber.

T-Mobile is keeping the existing mmW infrastructure because it's already built out. They're not going to tear it out and burn their own investment.

 

[DCIFRTHS]

Stadiums are the example provided by everyone but rarely deployed in reality. This is because mmWave requires 10-20x more cell sites compared to mid-band 5G. The human body literally can easily stop mmW signals. Keep in mind mid-band can match mmW's high-density, high-throughput performance via MIMO and CA. This is why 5G Advanced focuses on these two features.

No carrier in Canada has any plans to deploy mmW for smartphone applications. Once again, it's for fixed wireless access (FWA) in rural communities. Basically, wireless home Internet instead of laying down copper and fiber.

T-Mobile is keeping the existing mmW infrastructure because it's already built out. They're not going to tear it out and burn their own investment.

A quick Google search shows that Verizon has deployed mmWave in all 30 NFL stadiums.

 

[JPack]

A quick Google search shows that Verizon has deployed mmWave in all 30 NFL stadiums.

Yes, mmWave was the only choice Verizon had when 5G began deploying in 2019. Mid-band wasn't up for auction until the DoD advised against mmW. The FCC finally opened up auctions in 2020/2021.

In Japan, where mmW auctions happened early like the U.S., carriers haven't deployed mmW to any appreciable degree whether in stadiums or large venues.

 

[myhaksown]

mmWave only has a range of 300 feet to about half a mile. Any obstructions and its basically 0 feet. So it’s super impractical when even a 4g LTE tower could make it at least 10 miles out.

If I remember right tmobiles towers that used the super long distance frequency on 4glte (what was it 700mhz?) went like 27 miles and could go thru almost anything. I’m going off memory here so forgive me if I got the wrong frequency and a tad off on distance.

My point here though is mmWave would be great in a city with receivers built high above apartment buildings and a tall tower on the low end of the mmWave spectrum and used as home internet but even that’s not totally practical. Costs too much and not enough users.

My iPhone 13 Pro Max gets 750mbps on normal 5g on the outskirts of Boston. So why bother? I’m approaching gigabit speed. I don’t need 3gbps on my iPhone. No one does.

ChatGPT reminded me of a few things I remember reading right here on Macrumors around the time I was in high school in 2010 up thru 2015. I’m too lazy to do all the research myself at 6am so I asked GPT to do a deep research on the topic here’s the link. GPT

 

[Howard2k]

Yes, mmWave was the only choice Verizon had when 5G began deploying in 2019. Mid-band wasn't up for auction until the DoD advised against mmW. The FCC finally opened up auctions in 2020/2021.

In Japan, where mmW auctions happened early like the U.S., carriers haven't deployed mmW to any appreciable degree whether in stadiums or large venues.

Japan has deployed mmWave in some stadiums and stations.

 

[Ctrlos]

Upgraded from iPhone 14 Pro to iPhone 16e and I’m really disappointed with the down/upload speeds. Connected to the same network, speeds are as follows:

iPhone 14 Pro
Down - 550mbps
Up - 45mbps

iPhone 16e
Down - 200mbps
Up - 3mbps (yes three)

Could the phone be still indexing in the background or?

As I use my phone to hotspot all through the house, the performance is extremely important. At the minute it’s lacklustre. Any ideas?

I’m amazed you got that fast at all in the UK with the 14 Pro. I think the only time I’ve got anything that fast from O2 (my network) was in the centre of London in South Kensington.

Whilst it’s not as good as the 14 Pro, I’d say the 220mbs from the 16e is actually bloody good! I can’t tell you the difference and clearly 220mbps isn’t good enough for your own personal use case.

A quick speed test in my suburb of Sheffield gives me about 10mbps down on 5G, against the 800mbps of my Virgin WiFi (which tops out at 1200mbps). That’s on an iPhone 16.

 

[derbyshire2013]

I’m amazed you got that fast at all in the UK with the 14 Pro. I think the only time I’ve got anything that fast from O2 (my network) was in the centre of London in South Kensington.

Whilst it’s not as good as the 14 Pro, I’d say the 220mbs from the 16e is actually bloody good! I can’t tell you the difference and clearly 220mbps isn’t good enough for your own personal use case.

A quick speed test in my suburb of Sheffield gives me about 10mbps down on 5G, against the 800mbps of my Virgin WiFi (which tops out at 1200mbps). That’s on an iPhone 16.

The “fastest” speed I’ve achieved to date on o2 (using 5G NSA as ascertained by FTM) was 220Mbps - was sat in the car park of a convenience store close to where I work.

Beyond that, at home, my 16PM shows 5G but doesn’t reach much higher than what you’ve achieved in your ‘burb of Sheffield.

The “best” speed to date was nearly 1Gbps using EE whilst sat in the car park at Meadowhall and this was on my then 15PM, again over 5G NSA.