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Ookla Finds Apple’s C1X Modem Closing the Gap on Qualcomm for 5G Speeds, Beating It on Latency

Independent Speedtest data credits tighter modem integration for the gains, with upload performance still trailing in mmWave-heavy markets.

Overview

  • Real‑world Ookla results show the C1X reaching near‑parity with Qualcomm’s X80 on median download speeds across many regions, including 352.21 Mbps in the U.S. at just 2.65% below the X80.
  • The C1X posts a consistent responsiveness advantage, outperforming the X80 on latency in 19 of 22 markets tested, with notable gains in the U.S., China and Indonesia and exceptions in Taiwan and Japan.
  • The new modem delivers a clear generational jump over Apple’s C1 in nearly every market, though improvements were minimal in Brazil, India and Malaysia due to local network characteristics.
  • Qualcomm retains a sizable edge in uploads—up to 32% in prosumer scenarios—driven by mature uplink carrier aggregation and stronger performance in multi‑band or mmWave‑reliant markets such as Taiwan, South Korea, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
  • Apple’s positioning cites up to 2x speed over C1, about 30% lower modem energy use, sub‑6GHz‑only support, congestion‑aware task prioritization and a Limit Precise Location privacy option.