Apple has been on a roll this week with the announcement of the iPad Air M3 and iPad 11, along with an all-new MacBook Air M4. But its tablets appear to be missing a surprising feature: Apple’s C1 modem.
The Apple-built custom modem for 5G connectivity first arrived on the iPhone 16e, but the iPad Air M3 and iPad 11 models come with the usual Qualcomm modem.
Confirmed by MacRumors and Daring Fireball speaking to an Apple representative, it appears fitting the C1 modem into the latest iPads wasn’t a priority.
Since the custom-built modem from Apple is used for 5G connectivity, this only affects cellular models of the new iPad Air and entry-level iPad. Still, seeing as the iPhone 16e is equipped with the C1 modem, it’s interesting to see the more recent Apple tablets not be part of the gradual shift to the company’s in-house modem.
As reported, Apple’s manufacturing deal with Qualcomm for 5G modems is set to last until 2027, so there’s still a lot of time left for Apple to continue to use Qualcomm’s modems in iPhones and iPads down the line. However, it’s clear the Cupertino company is keen on starting to use its own, as it’s reportedly already working on a C2 modem.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we’ll see Apple’s C1 modem next in the rumored iPhone 17 Air. There’s no word on whether the modem will show up in the rest of the iPhone 17 lineup, but this indicates Apple will slowly be transitioning from Qualcomm to its own modems over the next few years — just not in the latest iPads, first.
Apple’s C1 modem in tablets isn’t essential for now
Apple’s iPads are some of the best tablets around, and with the upgraded internals the iPad Air M3 and iPad 11 offer, including an A16 chip for the latter, it looks to continue to be that way.
Unlike iPhones, cellular connectivity in iPads isn’t essential. While the option is available, Wi-Fi models tend to be the most popular given their starting prices, with the iPad Air M3 starting at $599 / £599 and the iPad 11 priced from $349 / £329. That’s opposed to the Wi-Fi+ Cellular models, which are $150 / £150 more.
Unless you’re considering to use mobile data while you’re out and about on these iPads, these 5G modems aren’t essential. Moreover, just because these latest tablets don’t come with Apple’s own C1 modem doesn’t mean you’re not getting 5G connectivity, anyway.
In fact, the C1 modem doesn’t offer mmWave technology unlike Qualcomm’s. That said, during our iPhone 16e testing, we found no real noticeable difference in speeds in various locations throughout New York City compared to the Qualcomm modem-equipped iPhone 16. The 16e even showed faster speeds in one test.
Interestingly, the C1 modem delivers better power efficiency over Qualcomm’s offering, with the C1 modem drawing between 17% and 24% less power, according to tests from tech site Geekerwan. With this in mind, the iPad Air M3 and iPad 11 cellular models could have benefitted with Apple’s custom-built modem.
At the same time, this is hardly a deal-breaker for those looking at grabbing one of the latest iPads with cellular connectivity, as they come with other upgrades worth checking out (like upgraded 128GB storage).
We’re sure to see Apple’s C1 modem pop up in further products down the line, but in the meantime, we have new iPads and a MacBook Air to look forward to. Speaking of, here’s why the MacBook Air M4 is looking to be the bargain of the year.
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