iPhone 17 Air to borrow Apple’s C1 modem from iPhone 16e
*Image credit — Fpt.
The iPhone 16e — a less pricey entry into the iOS ecosystem — is essentially being used to field test the C1 modem without risking its flagship counterparts. Initial comparison tests will be conducted soon but the modem’s exclusion from the iPhone 16 series sort of reveals the results prematurely.
The iPhone 16 is a very mild upgrade over the iPhone 15. | Video credit — Apple
Naturally, being a first generation product, the C1 modem probably has lots of improvements that can be made to it. But if it is going to be used on the iPhone 17 Air then that signals another interesting possibility about the phone.
If Apple is okay with a likely less powerful modem on the Air model then that leads me to believe that the phone might be making other sacrifices too. Initial reports did claim that the iPhone 17 Air won’t be as powerful as its counterparts and will sell mostly on the slim factor.
But if Apple is using something only used on a mid-ranger iPhone before then the iPhone 17 Air may have more in common with a potential iPhone 17e. We can expect to see less powerful cameras and perhaps even an older processor alongside the obvious smaller battery.
In real world use the C1 modem should work perfectly fine for the average consumer so this shouldn’t be a huge deal at all. But it does raise some questions about just what the iPhone 17 Air will be.
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