Leak: Apple uses different modems for iPhone 18 Pro
Apple reportedly plans to integrate its own C2 modem into iPhone 18 Pro. Qualcomm is only for certain regions, according to data from a leak at Tata Electronics.
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro: currently still with Qualcomm modem.
(Image: heise medien / Sebastian Trepesch)
One modem no longer worldwide: Apple apparently plans to install different modem chips in the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max in the fall, depending on the market. Instead of using its in-house (and so far officially unknown) C2 developed in-house in all countries, devices in the USA, for example, are to continue to be equipped with technology from Qualcomm. This is according to leaks that were stolen during a hacker attack on the Indian manufacturer Tata Electronics. More than 200,000 documents, though not all from Apple, were leaked to the dark web. It even contained images that apparently show the new devices – visually unchanged compared to the iPhone 17 Pro.
Bill of Materials for the new iPhones leaked
A total of 630 GB of data was exfiltrated from Tata Electronics. The company belongs to the country's most important industrial conglomerate, Tata. For Apple, it is the most important manufacturer in India alongside Foxconn. At least 25 percent of all iPhones are now produced there, including many for the US market.
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According to an analysis by the Apple blog AppleInsider, the iPhone 18 Pro component lists reference various Qualcomm products such as SDX80M, SDR875, QDM8771, QDM8720, PMK75, PMX75, and QET7100A, which are missing from the Bill of Materials (BoM) for devices in other regions.
5G mmWave could be the reason
It is conceivable that Apple made this decision due to 5G mmWave technology, which is already comparatively widespread in the USA, unlike in many other markets. The C2 reportedly still cannot offer 5G mmWave – which promises a throughput increase in close proximity to the base station. Therefore, Apple is sticking with Qualcomm in the USA – even though the C2 would offer some advantages, for example, because it is better adapted to the overall system.
Different iPhone models are already being sold: US devices support 5G mmWave and all other global standards, while models for Europe, for example, come without 5G mmWave. However, Apple continues to use Qualcomm chips across the board for its Pro models. The Tata Electronics leak also contains information about the A20 Pro chip, which is said to be installed in the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. Information about the first iPhone foldable, which is also circulating as the “iPhone Ultra”, is scarce, however.
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