On Wednesday (February 19), Apple announced that it will soon ship its relatively low-priced iPhone 16e smartphone model. The Cupertino, California-based company has updated the internals of its entry-level model (starting at $599). Apple's new design uses the A18 chipset, as well as its much-talked-about first modem design.
C1 is a custom 5G component developed entirely by Apple. Prior to this, the modern iPhone lineup was equipped with Qualcomm 5G modems. As expected, Apple signed a contract with TSMC to produce the A18 and C1 silicon chips - the Type A SoC based on the 3nm process node (TSMC N3E).
Taiwan's "Business Times" believes that TSMC will be the "biggest beneficiary" of the above-mentioned Apple agreement. The latest report quotes industry analysis and estimates that annual shipments will reach about 22 million units. There are also rumors that the C1 modem will appear on non-iPhone devices by next year, namely the next generation of watches and iPads.
The report also mentioned that upcoming Mac products will also receive C1 upgrades. Further leaks link the "Ganymede" project to the "C2" custom 5G modem design - with insider sources believing that the 3nm TSMC process is a done deal. Insiders leaked another codename - "Prometheus", which may refer to a future "C3" model.