Apple aims to replace Qualcomm in Watch with own C2 chip
Apple wants to move away from Qualcomm more and more – not only in the iPhone. The C1 will soon be followed by the C2, which will have more features.
Apple Watch during a phone call: Qualcomm is still using LTE here.
(Image: Apple)
Now that Apple has finally succeeded in integrating its self-developed 5G cellular modem, the C1, into its own product, it is set to continue the process of cutting the cord from its previous wireless technology supplier Qualcomm as quickly as possible: the Apple Watch will reportedly also receive a new transmitter and receiver unit. This is reported by the US IT news site The Information from Silicon Valley.
From LTE to 5G RedCap
According to the report, however, the first step is not (yet) about installing Apple technology. Instead, the iPhone company would like to switch to the Taiwanese component company MediaTek. According to this, Qualcomm is to be phased out of the Apple Watch Ultra – of the then "real" third generation this year, after Apple only added a new color in 2024 –. There were already rumors to this effect in December, but now they are becoming more concrete.
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Apple currently only uses 4G LTE radio modems in all Apple Watch models; the watches are not capable of 5G. Thanks to MediaTek, the Ultra will support the so-called 5G RedCap service, a 5G subset optimized for wearables and IoT devices. In addition, the Ultra 3 will also support satellite radio – in the form of the ability to send text messages, as we already know from the iPhone. It is still unclear whether Apple is also planning a wireless modem from its own company for the Apple Watch – it will probably be a few years yet. Alongside Qualcomm, MediaTek is one of the few companies that produces its own 5G modem chips.
What's next for the C1
The Information also has some news about the C1. For example, there will allegedly be a "C2" by 2026, which will support the mmWave spectrum for the first time, which Apple already uses with Qualcomm modems in US variants of the iPhone. mmWave offers an even higher throughput rate, but is still rarely used in Europe. The "C2" is codenamed "Ganymede" and, according to The Information, will also end up in at least one iPhone. After that, the "C3" is also planned, which could appear from 2027 and is codenamed "Prometheus".
It is expected to include all the features of the competition from Qualcomm and even surpass them – with mmWave, as well as other features. Appe had already been working on its own wireless modems for at least seven years and is said to have invested billions. According to older rumors, download throughputs of up to 6 Gbps should be possible with the C2 as early as 2026 if the base station cooperates. Work on the chip is said to have started a long time ago, with initial internal tests already underway.
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