A new report from Ookla has revealed that Apple’s latest in-house C1X modem, featured in the iPhone Air, has reached a significant milestone by delivering flagship-level 5G performance that rivals Qualcomm solutions — though results in Malaysia appear more modest.
Based on global Speedtest data from Q4 2025, the C1X modem represents a major upgrade over Apple’s earlier C1 modem, achieving near parity in download speeds and latency with Qualcomm’s X80 modem across multiple markets.
While global results are impressive, Malaysia stands out as one of the few markets where the C1X modem does not show significant gains.
According to Ookla’s findings, the iPhone Air delivers little to no meaningful improvement in median 5G download speeds in Malaysia compared to devices using the older C1 modem, indicating that local network conditions are limiting the modem’s full potential.
This suggests that factors such as spectrum allocation, network congestion and deployment strategy play a larger role in determining real-world performance than hardware alone.
Despite the modest gains in raw speeds, the C1X modem still improves the overall experience in several key areas, including better upload consistency for sharing content and cloud uploads, improved performance in weak signal conditions, and lower latency for faster response times across apps and services.
These improvements contribute to a more stable and reliable 5G experience, even if headline speeds remain largely unchanged in Malaysia.
Closing the Gap with Qualcomm
The report shows that Apple has effectively closed the performance gap in real-world usage, with the C1X modem delivering comparable download speeds under both ideal and challenging network conditions.
More notably, Apple appears to have gained an edge in latency performance, with the iPhone Air outperforming Qualcomm-powered devices in 19 out of 22 tested markets, resulting in a more responsive experience for everyday tasks such as browsing, streaming and cloud-based apps.
This improvement is largely attributed to tighter integration between Apple’s modem and chipset, allowing for more efficient communication at the system level.
A Step Forward, But Network Still Matters
The report highlights that while Apple’s modem technology has matured significantly, real-world performance ultimately depends on local network infrastructure.
For Malaysian users, the benefits of the C1X modem are more subtle, focusing on consistency and responsiveness rather than outright speed gains. As telcos continue expanding 5G Standalone and optimising network performance, the advantages of newer modem technologies like the C1X are expected to become more apparent.
Overall, the C1X modem marks a major step forward for Apple, proving that its in-house silicon can now compete at the highest level — even if Malaysia’s current network conditions mean users may not fully feel the upgrade just yet.
You can read Ookla’s report on Apple’s C1x modem here.
