Apple unveils iPhone 18 Pro with in-house C2 modem

Apple ↘ 0.28% on Wednesday introduced its next-generation C2 cellular modem inside the iPhone 18 Pro and the foldable iPhone Duo, marking a major step in the company's years-long effort to replace Qualcomm ↗ 1.33% chips with its own silicon. But in a surprising twist, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will continue to rely on a Qualcomm modem, creating an unusual split between Apple's two flagship Pro models.

What the C2 Brings

The C2 is the third iteration of Apple's custom modem line, following the C1 in the iPhone 16e and the C1X in last year's iPhone Air. Apple says the C2 delivers "AI-powered improvements to cellular quality and reliability" and now supports mmWave 5G in the United States, addressing a limitation that had kept earlier Apple modems out of the company's top-tier phones. The company also claims the C2 offers meaningfully faster uploads and consumes 15 percent less energy than the C1X.apple+2

The modem supports U.S. mmWave bands n258, n260, and n261, alongside sub-6GHz 5G with 4×4 MIMO. Outside the U.S., specifications list sub-6GHz only.macrumors

A Split Between Pro Models

According to Apple's technical specifications pages, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max list different LTE band configurations, confirming the use of distinct modem hardware. The Pro Max appears to use a Qualcomm modem — likely the Snapdragon X80, based on pre-launch leaks — though Apple has not publicly identified the chip by name.9to5mac+2

The reason for the divergence remains unclear. Pre-announcement rumors had suggested Apple would use Qualcomm modems only in U.S. models of both Pro phones to preserve mmWave support. Instead, Apple managed to bring mmWave to the C2 for the smaller Pro but kept Qualcomm in the Pro Max. MacRumors noted that supply constraints could be a factor, given that the iPhone Duo also uses the C2.macrumors+2

Pricing and Availability

Both phones run on Apple's 2nm A20 Pro chip and come in burgundy, glacier, silver, and black. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the Pro Max at $1,299, with storage options up to 2TB. Pre-orders open Saturday, September 12, with availability on September 18. The iPhone Duo, priced at $1,999, follows on October 23.cnbc+2

The battery gap between the two models has also widened: Apple quotes up to 36 hours of video playback for the iPhone 18 Pro and up to 45 hours for the Pro Max, compared to 33 and 39 hours for last year's models.9to5mac