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

Apple revealed its custom C1 modem less than a month ago with the iPhone 16e, calling it the “most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone.” It helps the 16e achieve the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone — but the new iPads Apple announced this week will not see these benefits. After seeing suspicious … Read more

Your next phone will probably use Qualcomm’s new X85 modem

For MWC 2025 Qualcomm has introduced its eighth generation 5G modem, the X85, destined for use in the smartphones we’ll see later this year. The Qualcomm X85 modem has a variety of highly technical firsts inside, and of course some AI too, but it’s not just about boosting connectivity, it’s also about improving efficiency and … Read more

Here’s why Apple’s C1 modem is good news for future MacBook battery life

Table of Contents Table of Contents Bring on the benefits Worth the wait Back in 2008, Steve Jobs said that Apple had thought about adding a 3G modem to its laptops to give them wireless capabilities without needing a Wi-Fi connection. Yet the company eventually gave up on the idea because the chips would take … Read more