The iPhone 16e hints at 5G limits for the iPhone 17 Air
Apple announced the iPhone 16e earlier this week. As expected, the company's latest budget smartphone features its first custom-designed modem chip, known as the C1. However, this chip does not support ultra-fast mmWave 5G technology, indicating that another upcoming iPhone model may also lack this capability.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air, expected to launch this fall alongside the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, is also likely to include the C1 chip. This suggests that it too will probably not support mmWave 5G.
What does this imply? While mmWave technology offers fast data speeds at short distances—ideal for urban centers—sub-6GHz provides broader coverage, which is still fast but slower than mmWave. Sub-6GHz technology is, however, the more widely used option globally.
The introduction of the C1 chip tells us two key things. First, if the iPhone 17 Air utilizes this chip like the iPhone 16e, it will not support mmWave. Second, this means that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will continue to use a Qualcomm modem chip that supports both mmWave and sub-6GHz.
Additionally, Gurman reports that Apple is already developing a second-generation in-house 5G modem with support for both sub-6GHz and mmWave technology. This new chip is expected to be incorporated into the iPhone 18 lineup, anticipated to arrive in September 2026.
Is the C1 chip's lack of mmWave support a significant issue? Not really, as this is largely irrelevant outside the U.S., where Apple currently only sells mmWave models. For more information on mmWave technology, check out our primer from 2022.
Preorders for the iPhone 16e will begin tomorrow, February 21, with initial shipments expected to arrive one week later, on February 28. The iPhone 17 Air, which is anticipated to replace the iPhone Plus in the iPhone 17 lineup, is expected to be Apple's thinnest iPhone to date. It is also forecasted to feature a new design that distinguishes it from the rest of the 2025 iPhone lineup.
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