Jiří Filip Apple yesterday afternoon introduced iPhone 17and a new iPad Air with the M4 chip. At first glance, this is a classic upgrade, but both products are connected by one fundamental thing that may be even more important than the processor itself in the future – the new 5G modem C1X from the workshop Applu. And it brings three very specific advantages.
Significantly higher speeds
Apple for iPad Air with the M4 claims up to 50% faster mobile data speeds compared to the previous generation with a Qualcomm modem. And that's a difference that's not just a marketing slogan. keynoteThe jump is even more interesting for the iPhone 17e. Its predecessor, iPhone 16e, although it was already using the first generation of its own C1 modem, the new C1X is supposed to be up to 2x faster. And it's not just about paper values. Apple tvThe chip and modem are tightly coupled, allowing the system to intelligently prioritize data-sensitive tasks. In other words, when a video call is in progress, the modem is instructed to prioritize that traffic over other data. The result is a faster, smoother user experience.
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A new level of privacy protection
With the arrival iOS 26.3 presented Apple "Limit Precise Location" feature, which is available exclusively on devices with their own modem. The principle is simple. Mobile networks can determine your location based on which transmitters the device connects to. The new feature will limit the accuracy of this data, so that the operator can, for example, only determine an approximate area (neighborhood), not a specific address. Importantly, according to Applu this does not affect the signal quality or user experience. Support is currently limited to selected operators, but should gradually expand. And this is where the strategy can be seen Applu in practice – its own hardware allows it to implement functions that would simply not work with a third-party modem.
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Better battery life
Efficiency has long been one of the main arguments for custom chips AppThis is doubly true for modems. Mobile connections are among the biggest battery drainers. iPad Air s M4 Apple claims up to 30% lower modem power consumption compared to the previous generation. And we could already see a similar trend with the first generation C1 in the iPhone 16e. The C1X is not only about higher speed, but also about the device lasting longer on a single charge – and in the real world, that is often more important than the extra megabits themselves.
