No, Apple’s latest iPads don’t use the newest modem — but that’s okay

Apple recently introduced its custom C1 modem with the iPhone 16e, touting it as the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone. While this technology has helped the iPhone 16e achieve impressive battery life, the new iPads unveiled by Apple this week will not benefit from this modem.

Upon closer inspection of the new iPad specs, it was confirmed that they do not incorporate the C1 modem. This aligns with previous reports suggesting that Apple plans a gradual rollout of these modems across its product line over three years. Although Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman initially believed that lower-end iPads in 2025 would feature the C1 modem, it seems that this is not the case.

Apple’s goal with the custom C1 modem is to reduce reliance on Qualcomm modems, but questions remain about whether it matches the quality of Qualcomm’s technology. While Apple has emphasized the power efficiency of the C1 in the iPhone 16e, reports indicate that higher-end products may not integrate this modem immediately, hinting at ongoing improvements.

As for the impact on the new iPads, they may not achieve the same level of power efficiency as the iPhone 16e, but given Qualcomm’s track record in powering Apple devices, there should not be a significant negative impact.

According to Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a refreshed version of the C1 modem for mass production next year. This updated version aims to enhance power consumption, transmission speed, and support for mmWave technology.

Apple's C1 modem process technology:
– Baseband: 4/5nm (both technologies are similar)
– Low-frequency/Sub-6 TRx (Transceivers): 7nm
– Intermediate Frequency (IF) TRx: 7nm
– PMIC: 55nm

The C1 refreshed version is under development for mass production next year, aiming to improve…

— 郭明錤 (Ming-Chi Kuo) (@mingchikuo) March 6, 2025