As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, writing for French technology website Numerama, Apple has updated its technical specifications pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says that the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in all countries except the US. According to a tipster known as @itspdfu, who has been investigating Apple’s software updates in recent weeks, the iOS 27 code reveals that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is equipped with a Qualcomm modem instead of the C2 chip in the US. Apple has yet to provide an explanation for this modem difference, so we can only speculate for now. In 2023, Qualcomm announced that it would supply Apple with smartphone modems until 2026, so perhaps Apple is equipping the US version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max with a Qualcomm modem to comply with this agreement to a minimum. Apple’s C2 modem supports ultra-fast 5G mmWave in the US, unlike the previous generation C1 and C1X modems. Qualcomm modems in the iPhone 12 and newer already supported mmWave 5G in the US, so Apple is playing catch-up here. Apple said the C2 offers “significantly faster charges” compared to the C1X and consumes 15% less power. Apple’s first-generation C1 modem debuted in the iPhone 16e in February 2025, and the second-generation C1X debuted in the iPhone Air in September 2025. Now, the third-generation C2 modem has arrived in the iPhone 18 Pro models, except the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the US as mentioned, as Apple’s transition away from Qualcomm continues. It’s unclear which Qualcomm modem is in the US units of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, but it’s most likely the Snapdragon X85. In the coming weeks, real-world performance tests should show how the C2 and Snapdragon X85 compare. Apple’s foldable iPhone Duo uses the C2 modem worldwide.
