Qualcomm iPhone 16 faster on 5G, C1 iPhone 16e better in weak signals

A new, large-scale analysis of Speedtest results from Ookla shows that Apple’s in-house C1 modem, introduced in the budget iPhone 16e, competes closely with and in some cases outperforms Qualcomm-based iPhones, but lags on the fastest, most advanced 5G networks. The report, published Monday, compares millions of user-run tests and controlled measurements to assess how the two modems perform across carriers and countries since the C1’s debut in February.

Ookla’s data indicate that the Qualcomm-equipped iPhone 16 generally achieves higher median download speeds on networks that deploy advanced 5G features, while the iPhone 16e with Apple’s C1 tends to excel under poor signal conditions and in many upload scenarios. The difference is most pronounced on carriers using extensive carrier aggregation and standalone 5G cores. For example, Ookla found T-Mobile users in the United States saw a median download speed of 317.64 Mbps on the iPhone 16 versus 252.80 Mbps on the iPhone 16e. RootMetrics controlled testing cited by Ookla reported that T-Mobile employed four-carrier aggregation in 65.4 percent of locations tested during the first half of 2025, a configuration the Qualcomm modem...