iPhone 18 Pro Max Still Uses a Qualcomm Modem in the US, Teardown Confirms
TechInsights said Apple has not explained the split, while the C2 modem is used in the iPhone 18 Pro and in other countries.
- A new TechInsights teardown confirms the United States version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max utilizes the Qualcomm X80 modem, contradicting earlier speculation that Apple might have switched to its in-house technology.
- Apple has been transitioning to in-house modem technology; the iPhone 16 series relied on the Qualcomm Snapdragon X71, while the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max utilized the Qualcomm X80.
- While the United States iPhone 18 Pro Max retains Qualcomm hardware, Apple's own C2 modem powers the iPhone 18 Pro and international iPhone 18 Pro Max models, consuming 15 percent less energy than the C1X.
- Apple has not provided an explanation regarding why the United States iPhone 18 Pro Max continues to use the Qualcomm X80 modem, despite the broader rollout of proprietary C2 technology in other markets.
- The C2 modem also supports mmWave 5G, unlike the C1 and C1X, marking a significant advancement in AI-powered improvements to cellular quality and reliability.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Teardown confirms US iPhone 18 Pro Max lacks Apple's C2 modem
A teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max has confirmed an oddity of the US-based model, in that it uses a Qualcomm modem instead of Apple's C2 chip.iPhone 18 Pro MaxApple's introduction of the iPhone 18 Pro line included a lot of hype about its use of the C2 modem. It turns out not to be the case for the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the United States.In details from a teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max by TechInsights, it details many of the typical internal …
iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a Qualcomm modem in the US, teardown confirms
TechInsights has published one of the first in-depth iPhone 18 Pro Max teardowns. Most notably, the teardown confirms that the iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the United States still uses a Qualcomm modem. more…
On September 18, 2026, the iPhone 18 Pro Max was released. TechInsights, a company that disassembles and analyzes smartphones, promptly purchased and disassembled the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the United States. Their findings revealed that the modem is not Apple's proprietary C2 modem, but rather a Qualcomm modem. Read more...
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