It turns out that Apple’s first proprietary 5G modem C1 is being manufactured by TSMC using two process technologies at once

The iPhone 16e smartphone, presented this week, became the first Apple device to try on the C1 modem of its own design. Taiwanese sources explain that it is manufactured by TSMC using 7 nm and 4 nm technologies, and by 2026 this modem may be installed in the Apple Watch and iPad. Later, Apple’s own modems will find application in Mac computers.

Image Source: Apple

According to analysts polled by Commercial Times, Apple is set to ship around 22 million iPhone 16e smartphones this year, so TSMC could be provided with a decent volume of orders for manufacturing not only C1 modems, but also A18 processors, which are manufactured by a Taiwanese contractor using N3E technology. The basic C1 modem is manufactured using 4-nm technology, and the receiver is manufactured using 7-nm technology by the same company TSMC.

Since Apple previously received modems from Qualcomm, the companies’ cooperation may decrease significantly. Next year, for example, Apple will receive only 20% of the modems it needs from Qualcomm. Formally, the agreement on modem supplies between the companies will be valid until 2027. Apple’s strategy in the field of developing its own modems is believed to imply the release of 3-nm Ganymede generation solutions next year, and the third-generation chips were designated Prometheus. Most likely, both solutions will be manufactured for Apple by TSMC.