According to a new report from TechInsights, China’s key component suppliers are making strong inroads in the global supply chains, creating an important position by supplying key technology products. Apple’s new iPhone 16e series will feature display panels from China’s biggest display vendor, BOE Technology.

China's BOE is set to supply over 15 million flexible LTPS OLED panels for Apple's new iPhone 16e series, marking a major feat for the display vendor as it becomes a lead supplier for Apple's latest iPhone products.

BOE has overtaken Samsung Display and LG Display to secure the display design win in the Apple iPhone 16e series. BOE's iPhone panel ASP is expected to cross over US$ 25 and is positioned aggressively against the competition.

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As per TechInsights Handset Component Technology research, BOE is China's top OLED panel vendor for smartphones with over 30 million panel units shipped in Q3 2024 such that the vendor’s total panel shipments is set to overtake 120 million units in 2024. The panel vendor has now become China's leading supplier of smartphone OLED panels.

Lately, BOE has also achieved qualifications for leading foldable smartphones of Huawei, Honor and Oppo. The vendor also became the first commercial supplier of TriFold Display Panels for the Huawei Mate XT series and is now also expected to be the supplier of panels for the upcoming Oppo Find N5 foldable smartphones.

BOE's display design win in the iPhone SE series provides the vendor with a competitive position for panel supply in the roadmap for future iPhones. However, BOE's position would be affected if it fails to supply panels which would allow Samsung Display to seize the opportunity. Considering BOE's history of supplying iPhone panels, this would be a challenging opportunity which TechInsights expects to see unfold in 2025.

TechInsights also published a report titled " iPhone 16e Debuts with Apple’s First In-House 5G Modem and Enhanced AI Capabilities."

In their second report they noted that a key highlight of the iPhone 16e is Apple’s new internally designed 5G modem and RF transceiver chips, dubbed the C1. Building on Apple’s long-term captive silicon strategy, the C-series (C for Cellular) joins the established A-series processors and M-series chips. This strategic move is aimed at reducing Apple’s dependency on Qualcomm for modem solutions by 2027.

While the C1 modem has some historical links to Intel’s early 5G designs—tracing back to Apple’s 2019 acquisition of Intel’s smartphone modem business—it is not a direct successor to Intel’s XMM8160. Instead, Apple has re-engineered the architecture, focusing on a tailored design that yields a 25% improvement in power efficiency over Qualcomm’s current 5G solutions used in the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models.

Tighter Integration with the A18 Processor

Apple’s vertical integration efforts extend beyond just modem design. By controlling both the application processor and the modem’s circuitry, Apple has improved the synergy between the C1 modem and the A18 processor. This close integration allows the iPhone 16e to offload certain signaling and transmission prioritization tasks to the A18, resulting in more reliable RF performance, improved battery life, and potentially faster data connections.

Looking ahead, Apple’s chip development roadmap could include future designs where the A-series and C-series components are fabricated on the same piece of silicon, further enhancing performance and energy efficiency.

Johny Srouji on the C1 

Lastly, Reuters covered Apple's C1 modem on Wednesday by noting that the C1 subsystem is the most complex technology Apple has ever built, with a baseband modem manufactured with advanced 4-nanometer chipmaking technology and a transceiver made with 7-nanometer technology, Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, said in an interview at one of Apple's silicon labs in Sunnyvale, California.

The chips had to be tested with 180 carriers in 55 countries to ensure they will work in all the places Apple ships iPhones.

"We build a platform for generations," Srouji said. "C1 is the start, and we're going to keep improving that technology each generation, so that it becomes a platform for us that will be used to truly differentiate this technology for our products."

The C1 chips also have custom GPS systems and satellite connectivity for when iPhone users are away from mobile data networks. But they will lack some features, such as the ability to connect to what are known as millimeter wave 5G networks.

Apple's Srouji said that the company's goal was not to match the specifications of its chip rivals but instead to design products specific to the needs of Apple products.

"We're not the merchant vendor to go compete with Qualcomm and MediaTek and others. I believe we're building something truly differentiating that our customer will benefit from," he said.