Per Apple, it's "the first modem designed by Apple." Given that all previous iPhones also had some sort of modem chip inside — for example, the iPhone 16 sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon X71M — it's easy to overlook the C1 as just another chip that makes the iPhone do basic iPhone stuff like connecting to the internet.

Apple's new C1 modem in the iPhone 16e is just the "start," according to the company's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji. "C1

The custom modem in the iPhone 16e lays the groundwork for future Apple projects, as the company intends to use its proprietary modems across future products.