The iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro included Apple’s new C2 modem, but for some reason, the 18 Pro Max sticks with Qualcomm.
Apple Sticks with Qualcomm for iPhone 18 Pro Max, But Ships iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo with its Own C2 Modem
The C2 is Apple’s first modem that supports mmWave 5G in the United States, and it is making its debut with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo. But the strange thing is, the iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a modem from Qualcomm.
This screenshot is from Apple’s tech specs page for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max:
Thankfully, both phones use Apple’s N1 chip for wireless connectivity, giving you access to latest standards like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking.
If you read the screenshot carefully, you’ll notice that both modems used in the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max offer similar features. This includes mmWave 5G with support for 4×4 MIMO, along with Gigabit LTE with 4×4 MIMO.
However, do keep in mind that mmWave 5G support is limited to the United States, according to Apple from its event.
Apple has used Qualcomm modems for the longest time, but it is slowly and gradually moving away from them in favor of its in-house effort. And it makes sense too, because C1 and C1X have proven to be extremely efficient and optimized for great battery life, something that can’t be said for Qualcomm.
For the completely average user, the modem performance difference is going to be negligible, which means you can choose the iPhone 18 Pro over the iPhone 18 Pro Max and vice versa without giving it a second thought.
