Stolen data from Apple manufacturing partner Tata Electronics appears to reveal that the iPhone 18 Pro will use different modem chips depending on the market it is sold in, with U.S. models retaining Qualcomm hardware while international models will feature Apple's in-house C2 modem.
The finding emerged from a wide-ranging cyberattack on Tata, which alongside Foxconn assembles the iPhone. More than 630GB of confidential data was stolen by a ransomware group calling itself "World Leaks" and has been circulating online. The material was obtained illegally and MacRumors has not seen the stolen files directly. AppleInsider conducted an analysis of the stolen files and said it could confirm the authenticity of several key documents.
Among the information that has attracted particular is a bill of materials apparently related to the U.S. variant of the iPhone 18 Pro, which lists multiple Qualcomm components rather than Apple's C2 modem, codenamed Ganymede. The Qualcomm parts referenced include the SDX80M, SDR875, QDM8771, QDM8720, PMK75, PMX75, and QET7100A, components associated with mmWave 5G support. International iPhone 18 Pro models, by contrast, are said to use the "C2," which would succeed the C1 and C1X modems currently found in the iPhone Air, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro.
The implication, as AppleInsider notes, is that the C2 still lacks mmWave capability, and that Apple is once again relying on Qualcomm to fill that gap for American carriers.
mmWave is the ultra-high-frequency band of 5G offered primarily by Verizon, delivering very fast download speeds over short distances. Apple's C1 and C1X modems are widely regarded as more power efficient than their Qualcomm counterparts, meaning U.S. iPhone 18 Pro buyers may see somewhat worse battery life than those purchasing the same device elsewhere.
Daring Fireball's John Gruber offered analysis of the practical tradeoffs involved. While 5G outpaced LTE in his tests, Gruber argued the difference has no meaningful impact on how the phone actually feels to use:
On why Apple would not simply deploy the C2 everywhere rather than retaining Qualcomm for the U.S. market, Gruber pointed the finger squarely at carrier economics:
The C2 modem has been a rumored feature of the iPhone 18 Pro for years as part of Apple's broader effort to reduce its reliance on Qualcomm. A split deployment, with the C2 handling most of the world while Qualcomm covers the U.S., would represent a significant step in that direction even if it falls short of a complete transition.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch in the fall alongside the first foldable iPhone.
Article Link: iPhone 18 Pro Could Use Qualcomm Modem in the US and C2 Elsewhere
