For the first time, iPhone Pro Max, iPhone Pro are released with different versions of key component
Apple iPhone history was made yesterday when the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max were released.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro gets Qualcomm Snapdragon modem | Image by Apple
One of the questions surrounding the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max this year was whether Apple would use its homegrown 5G modem on the new phones or turn to Qualcomm once again. The iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max all used the Snapdragon X80 5G modem. The iPhone Air and iPhone 17e were equipped with Apple's C1X modem.
Apple's latest in-house 5G modem is the C2
During Apple's "Surprise and Shine" event on September 9, it introduced the C2 modem. The big improvement over the C1X was that the C2 added support for millimeter-wave (mmWave) 5G. The latter delivers the fastest 5G download speeds, although the signals travel only short distances and do not penetrate buildings well.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro buyers picking up their new phones at the Apple Store. | Image by Apple
Because of their physical limitations, mmWave airwaves are used only in densely populated areas, and most wireless users in the US never get to experience mmWave download data speeds as fast as 2Gbps. Instead, most US wireless subscribers are getting their fastest cellular connectivity from mid-band 5G. The latter may not be as fast as mmWave, but travel longer distances and penetrate buildings better.
The Apple C2 is faster and more energy-efficient than the C1X
Returning to the difference between the C1X and C2 Apple 5G modems, the C2 consumes 15% less energy than the C1X. So we can say that Apple gave its homegrown C2 5G modem support for faster download data speeds and also made it more energy-efficient.
TechInsights completed a preliminary teardown of the Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max and among the components it discovered inside the phone was Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem. The phone also featured Apple's N1 custom-designed network processor developed for use with short-range connectivity such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The N1 debuted last year on the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max replacing Broadcom's component. Having Apple design the N1 chip itself allowed the tech giant to achieve tighter integration with iOS, making the component more reliable for AirDrop and also improving battery life.
Other components found inside the iPhone 18 Pro Max
The iPhone 18 Pro Max is also equipped with the A20 Pro application processor (AP) and 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. While Samsung is the device's primary memory source, other suppliers include SK Hynix and Micron.
In case you were wondering, the iPhone 18 Pro contains Apple's C2 5G modem, making this year the first time in iPhone history that two Pro models from the same launch contain different modems. The Snapdragon modem is designed to work with both iOS and Android, while the C2 has some system-level advantages having been designed by Apple explicitly for the iPhone. Next year the C3 in-house modem is expected and we could see it on all 2027 Pro models.
Apple will introduce the C3 modem next year, which will outperform all rivals
The C3 modem is codenamed "Prometheus" and will offer higher performance and advanced AI features. Apple is designing the C3 to outperform all rival modems including Qualcomm's next-gen Snapdragon 5G modem. It also will feature support for the next generation of satellite networks.
Which modem do you want on your new iPhone?
117 Votes
In case you use an older iPhone model and are wondering which modem is in your phone, here is a list that you can memorize or cut out and keep in your wallet. Hey, you never know when you might be approached by some game show host on the street offering you $500 if you can tell him which 5G modem is on the iPhone 16e (the answer is the Apple C1).
Here is that list:
- iPhone 16: Qualcomm Snapdragon X71
- iPhone 16 Plus: Qualcomm Snapdragon X71
- iPhone 16 Pro: Qualcomm Snapdragon X71
- iPhone 16 Pro Max: Qualcomm Snapdragon X71
- iPhone 16e: Apple C1
- iPhone 17: Qualcomm Snapdragon X80
- iPhone17 Pro: Qualcomm Snapdragon X80
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: Qualcomm Snapdragon X80
- iPhone Air: Apple C1X
- iPhone 17e: Apple C1X
- iPhone 18 Pro: Apple C2
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: Qualcomm Snapdragon X80
- iPhone Duo: Apple C2
If you're wondering if the C2 is as good as the Snapdragon X80, Apple did decide to use the C2 on its first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo. That should answer your question.
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