Apple wants to do with this supplier what she has already done: crush, then reign

You may rememberPurchase by Appleof the Intel Modem division in 2019 for the modest sum of a billion dollars. This acquisition then represented a decisive step in the technological independence strategy of the apple firm. After years of development and persistent rumors on its abandonment, now the first fruit of this investment has just been revealed:The C1 chip, integrated into the new iPhone 16th.

This new chip represents much more than a simple component. It is part of what some call "COOK doctrine", stated by the CEO in 2009: "We think we have to own and control primary technologies behind the products we manufacture". A principle that has already proven itself with the Apple Silicon fleas on Mac, and which now extends toiPhone cellular modems.

A strategy of progressive independence

As with the Intel transition to Apple Silicon, the Cupertino firm proceeds in stages. The iPhone 16th, entry -level model, serves as a test bench for this first generation of modem. IfThe C1 chip does not support millimeter wavesAnd could offer lower performance at Qualcomm Snapdragon X71 present in other iPhone 16, it compensates for exceptional energy efficiency!

Apple does not hide its future ambitions. Johny Srouji, senior vice-president of material technologies, confirmed that "C1 is only the start" of a long-term strategy. You can also expect to see this technology gradually extend to other products such as the iPhone 17 Air and iPad 11 this year.

The future is already taking shape

Apple is already working on C2 and C3 fleas, scheduled for the next two years. The C2 should add the management ofmillimeter, then could equip the iPhone 18, the iPhone 18 Plus and 18 air.

As for the C3, the objective would be to finally surpass the performance of Qualcomm modems. If Apple gets there, we imagine that this C3 would be integrated into the iPhone 19 Pro, which must offer the best possible performance.

Apple's ambition does not stop there. The firm also develops its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips to replace those of Broadcom, and works in the long term on the integration of the modem directly into its A-SERIE chips. You would have an iPhone of which each wireless component would be designed and optimized by Apple, promisingBetter autonomy, and advanced flow.