Apple Unveils Custom N1 and C1X Wireless Chips for the iPhone 17 Series
Apple has advanced in-house chip development with the launch of the iPhone 17 series. The 2023 models are equipped with the custom N1 wireless networking chip, which takes the place of third-party components, adding Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 support. Furthermore, the C1X 5G modem makes its first appearance in the company's newest ultra-slim device, the iPhone Air.
N1 Chip Powering a New Era of Wireless Connectivity
Apple's N1 is its in-house chip for managing local wireless networking including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread. Apple claims that the N1 provides improvements for feature performance with regards to fast, smooth, and seamless transfer (think AirDrop or hotspot). While not publicly confirmed, the chip is speculated to be based on TSMC's 4nm 'N4P' node, leading to the speculation that the chip is 30% more power-efficient than the third-party solution it is replacing.
Key Technology Upgrades with the N1 Chip
- Wi-Fi 7: Provides all iPhone 17 models with 320MHz channel access and theoretical speeds up to 46Gbps, nearly double the speed of Wi-Fi 6. The protocol supports Multi-Link Operation (MLO), allowing simultaneous transmission over 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands to ensure more stable connections and lower latencies.
- Bluetooth 6.0: With low sub-20 ms latency, Bluetooth 6.0 offers lag-free audio along the extra range, reduced power consumption, and better security.
- Thread Protocol Support: This will facilitate seamless and more responsive integration with HomeKit-compatible smart home accessories.
C1X Modem Exclusive to the iPhone Air
Inside the iPhone Air sits the C1X, an upgraded Apple in-house 5G modem. A salient part of the C1X in the iPhone Air is that it does not support mmWave 5G thereby limiting it to sub-6 GHz bands. However, Apple claims the speed of C1X is better than that of the Snapdragon X75 modem used in the previous iPhone 16 Pro models while its power consumption is lower by 30 percent.
The N1 chip also equips other iPhone 17 family members but differs in supporting mmWave 5G networks, an omission of the iPhone Air's C1X modem.
Synergy in Hardware and Battery Life
In the iPhone Air, Apple has more control over hardware and software due to the integration of C1X modem and N1 wireless chip. This synergy will, therefore, optimize power savings and performance. Battery life should be all-day long per Apple, with video playback lasting for 27 hours, an hour longer than the iPhone 16e. This runtime might also result directly from the efficiency gains of the two new chips working together.
Outlook for the Future
The unexpected unveiling of the C1X, rather than the much-anticipated C2, shows how Apple's confidentiality on key hardware developments is almost infantile. It is speculated that a C2 with mmWave 5G support might just be a standard feature on all iPhone 18 series models next year.
