Qualcomm believes its latest X85 5G modem will set a "huge delta" between the performance of high-end Android devices and Apple

During the Mobile World Congress 2025, Qualcomm unveiled its new X85 5G modem with an integrated 5G AI processor and called out Apple's C1.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, speaking to CNBC in an interview, claimed that the X85 modem would create a 'huge delta' between its performance and Apple's C1 chip.

It has taken some time for Apple to release its first modem and it did so with the launch of the iPhone 16e last month. The cellular modem is called the C1.

At Mobile World Congress 2025, Qualcomm introduced its latest X85 5G modem. It’s fast, with peak speeds of 12.5 Gbps up and 3.7 Gbps down, and includes AI features to improve performance in areas with weak signals.

Its new X85 5G Modem-RF is not the first Qualcomm "modem-to-antenna solution" to include AI; it’s the fourth overall, succeeding the X80 introduced a year ago . But the San Diego firm says this year’s model—which it expects to appear in consumer devices in the second half of this year—does much more with its AI chip.