iPhone 16e outperforms iPhone 16 in 5G speed tests
Apple’s first in-house 5G modem delivers impressive results on iPhone 16e
One notable feature of the iPhone 16e is its use of Apple’s C1 modem. This marks Apple’s first in-house 5G modem, and currently, the iPhone 16e is the only device featuring it.
You might assume that, since the iPhone 16e is more affordable than other models in the iPhone 16 series, its C1 modem would underperform compared to the Qualcomm modem found in the other models. However, recent tests suggest that the C1 modem may actually deliver better performance in many situations.
According to data collected by Ookla from iPhone 16 and iPhone 16e users in the US, the iPhone 16e achieves 10th percentile download speeds of 27.35Mbps, while the iPhone 16 reaches 16.66Mbps. These figures indicate the typical download speeds for users experiencing the lowest performance on each device.
When it comes to median download speeds, the iPhone 16e leads at 217.64Mbps, slightly ahead of the iPhone 16 at 210.55Mbps. However, when considering 90th percentile (peak) download speeds, the iPhone 16 comes out on top, reaching 756.13Mbps compared to 560.4Mbps on the iPhone 16e.
It's worth noting that these peak speeds may be affected by the fact that the iPhone 16e does not support high-speed mmWave 5G, although future updates to the C1 modem are expected to add this capability.
Equally Effective for Uploads
The iPhone 16e and its C1 modem deliver impressive median upload speeds, outperforming the iPhone 16 across major networks in recent tests.
This is excellent news for Apple, as it suggests the company can transition to its own modem technology in all new iPhones without compromising performance. Even better, the C1 modem has been designed to be more energy-efficient than previous models, helping to extend battery life.
Interestingly, the iPhone 16e actually has an advantage over higher-end models—apart from its lack of mmWave support. This gives buyers another compelling reason to choose this device. Looking ahead, the strong performance of the C1 modem signals exciting improvements for future iPhones, especially as the next generation of this technology is expected to be even more advanced.
