Apple has spent years trying to reduce its technology dependence. The C2 modem is a perfect example of this. But it seems like the company still can’t reduce its dependency on Qualcomm. A teardown from TechInsights confirms that the US iPhone 18 Pro Max uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X80 5G modem, rather than Apple’s new in-house C2. The company found the SDX80M modem alongside Qualcomm’s SDR875 RF transceiver inside the US model A3473.
Apple’s C2 is everywhere else
The smaller iPhone 18 Pro uses Apple’s C2 worldwide, as does the new iPhone Duo. The iPhone 18 Pro Max also gets C2 outside the United States. Apple’s US specifications conspicuously list C2 beneath the regular Pro while omitting any modem name for the Pro Max; Apple’s Indian specs explicitly list C2 for both sizes.
The Snapdragon X80 also isn’t new to Apple. Both iPhone 17 Pro models used the X80 globally last year. What is new inside this US Pro Max is an Apple-designed mmWave antenna module identified by TechInsights.
Why is the US Pro Max different?
We still don’t have an official explanation behind this discrepancy. One possibility raised by MacRumors is contractual. Qualcomm announced in 2023 that it would continue supplying smartphone modems to Apple through 2026, so keeping the X80 in one high-volume US model could potentially help Apple satisfy remaining commitments. This is still just speculation, though, so take it with a grain of salt.
It also doesn’t appear to be because C2 lacks the necessary US network support. Apple claims that the new modem now supports mmWave 5G, delivers meaningfully faster uploads than C1X, and consumes 15% less energy.
