For a while, it was rumored that the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro would adopt Apple’s next-generation C2 cellular modem, marking the first time a Pro iPhone model has used it. After all, Apple started developing its own in-house cellular models starting with the C1 on the iPhone 16e and later with the C1X on the iPhone 17e, the iPhone Air, and the iPad Air/Pro (Wi-Fi+Cellular) models.
However, leaked data from Apple manufacturing partner Tata Electronics revealed some details that would partly suggest otherwise. As analyzed by AppleInsider, According to the leaked source, the U.S. variant of the iPhone 18 Pro lists several Qualcomm components instead of Apple’s own C2 modem (codenamed Ganymede). The international variants, on the other hand, indicated that they would use the C2 modem. This suggests that at least the iPhone 18 Pro models in the U.S. would not feature Apple’s C2 modem for unparalleled optimizations and efficiencies. For now, those models would rely on Qualcomm for mmWave 5G support. Both the C1 and C1X models lack mmWave 5G support, so it’s likely that the C2 model will continue to lack such support.
Now, at this time, mmWave 5G networks can only be found in the U.S., and since networks outside the U.S. are restricted to sub-6GHz networks, it would make sense for models outside the US. to adopt the C2 modem. However, the downside would be that customers in the U.S. could experience slightly shorter battery life when connected to cellular networks since Apple’s C-series modems are made to be highly energy-efficient. But since the U.S. models lack a physical SIM tray, Apple could fit in a larger battery to make up for overall battery life.
This isn’t the first time that Apple differentiates iPhone variants in the U.S. and outside the U.S. For example, iPhone 14 and later models sold in the U.S. rely on eSIM only and thus lack a physical SIM tray. Those models in China, except the iPhone Air, still retain the SIM tray.
The iPhone 18 Pro models and Apple’s first foldable “iPhone Ultra” are expected to make their debut this September.
