Qualcomm-backed study claims its modem beats Apple’s C1

A study about comparative 5G performance of android smartphones and Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone16e, commissioned by Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), found that Qualcomm’s modem chips performed better compared to rival, especially in dense urban areas.

Cellular Insights conducted the study, using two android smartphones powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X75 and X80 modems and iPhone 16e, which is equipped with Apple’s first-generation C1 modem.

According to the report, android devices recorded 34.3% to 35.2% faster download speed across all three test locations while connected to T-Mobile’s standalone 5G network in New York City. In terms of upload speeds, android devices were 81.4% to 91% faster.

“While all three devices delivered somewhat comparable 5G performance under ideal, near-cell conditions, performance deltas became increasingly pronounced as signal conditions deteriorated,” noted the report.

Shares of Qualcomm were up 2.5% in afternoon trading on Tuesday.

Cellular Insights, in its report conducted during late April and early May 2025, stated that the Android smartphones powered by Qualcomm modems deliver measurably superior performance in real-world 5G standalone environments.

“For users operating in dense urban, indoor, or uplink-intensive environments, the benefits of better 5G performance in the Android smartphones is not just theoretical—it is quantifiable, repeatable, and operationally significant,” the report said.

Apple has spent years trying to develop its own in-house modem offering, to lessen its reliance on Qualcomm. Earlier this year, the iPhone maker unveiled its first custom-designed modem chip

San Diego-based Qualcomm has provided the modem chips for Apple devices for more than a decade.

Apple did not immediately respond to Seeking Alpha’s request to comment on the report.