During the Mobile World Congress 2025, Qualcomm unveiled its new X85 5G modem with an integrated 5G AI processor and called out Apple's C1.

It has taken some time for Apple to release its first modem and it did so with the launch of the iPhone 16e last month. The cellular modem is called the C1.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, speaking to CNBC in an interview, claimed that the X85 modem would create a 'huge delta' between its performance and Apple's C1 chip.

Qualcomm believes its latest X85 5G modem will set a "huge delta" between the performance of high-end Android devices and Apple

In many ways, the Apple C1—its first cellular modem—is the company’s most important product in years. Just as the company broke free from reliance on Intel with its own Mac processors, it is now breaking free from reliance on Qualcomm for cellular connectivity. Ditching Broadcom for its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is said to happen this year, too.

As reported, Apple's manufacturing deal with Qualcomm for 5G modems is set to last until 2027, so there's still a lot of time left for Apple to continue to use Qualcomm's modems i

At Mobile World Congress 2025, Qualcomm introduced its latest X85 5G modem. It’s fast, with peak speeds of 12.5 Gbps up and 3.7 Gbps down, and includes AI features to improve performance in areas with weak signals.

Apple and Qualcomm's relationship has been strained for a decade and the iPhone 16e C1 chip is Apple's first move to cut ties once and for all.