MplsP

melgross said:

With all the talk about Apple’s problems with the modem, firstly, I’m surprised they came out with it this year, so early in the year too, and secondly, I’m not surprised that the performance is about the same as Qualcomm’s while being more efficient.

we’ve been reading that Apple’s first modem wouldn’t be out until 2026 and possibly not even until 2027, so this is a nice surprise. Apple can keep secrets after all, it seems. If the performance can keep up with Qualcomm’s in this first version, that shows they’ve overcome the problems they’ve been having. While I’m sure they licensed patents from Qualcomm’s and others, they do have plenty of their own that they bought from Intel and in previous patent auctions. But all patents expire, so this is less of an issue going forwards as Apple obtains more of their own patents for later versions of cellular standards. At some point in the near future, we’ll be finding Qualcomm’s and others licensing FRAND patents from Apple.

im hoping we’ll see their modems in the new line later this year.

Agreed - It’d be interesting to see how many patents they had to license and how much the licenses cost. My guess is it’s basically impossible to design a modem without licensing some patents. Presumably the patents are covered under FRAND use agreements (although I wouldn’t trust QC on this.)

Practical performance comparisons outside of a lab environment are virtually impossible to standardize because of the variations inherent to RF signal reception but if the speeds are roughly similar then it means you’ll see more variation from usage conditions than you will from the modem and it’s a win for Apple.

I don't think I know anyone who doesn't use a case for their phone. I also don't know anyone who actually removes the case to charge. This being the case (no pun intended,) I can't understand why the lack of MagSafe on the 16e is getting everyone up in a tizzy. Just a case and charge as inefficiently as you want.

This article makes a lot of assumptions. Until we can actually test the performance of the C1 chip everything is just a guess - It could turn out to be an absolute dog for all we know.  Assuming the C1 has reasonable performance and Apple is off to a good start, they have a history of introducing 'v1' products that are reasonable but then significantly upping the ante with V2. 

While the C1 cellular chip in the iPhone 16e will serve current needs, it presently lacks some technologies that will come into wider use going forward, such as Millimeter Wave (mmWave) cellular.

The utility and availability of mmWave cellular is not a given. It requires a high density of antennae and even then only works with a clear line of sight. From all I've seen it's worth little more than bragging rights at this point. Apple will probably have to include it just for looks but I'd rather have a well-functioning 5G modem without mmWave than a mediocre one with it.

Ultimately, the big advantage for Apple is the incremental per-unit cost for these chips will essentially be the production cost rather than a per-unit extortion fee that Qualcomm is currently charging. That will make it much more feasible to include them in a broader range of devices. One could even envision a scenario where Apple includes them in all devices, allowing for after-purchase activation in the future.

Hreb said:

StandBy hasn't been lost because the iPhone 16e doesn't have MagSafe.  StandBy without the always-on display is pointless.  The magic of StandBy comes from the combination of MagSafe and always-on, and the 16e has neither.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-usb-c-woven-charge-cable-1m-white/6340399.p?skuId=6340399

Hey! I found a solution to your problem in less than 10 seconds!

Meh.
First, wired charging is better. Period. It’s faster, more reliable and more efficient. Even with mag safe you can only get about 75% efficiency with wireless charging. Note that if you have a case it will be even worse, so you’re throwing away 25% of the power every time you charge. Unless you’re too lazy to plug in your phone in which case you have bigger issues and I can’t help you.

As far as accessories go it’s really not an issue. I have a mag safe wallet that I love but it connects to my case. I suspect the majority of people have a case on their phone so the number of people who will be affected by this is likely quite small.

As far as StandBy goes, I was really excited to see it since I have my phone on my nightstand as a clock. Except it turns off after several minutes (according to Apple there’s a setting to leave it on but I have yet to find it) The end result is I use a 3rd party clock app. I plug my phone in every night, use the clock app and it works perfectly.