A teardown has confirmed that the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X80 modem.
The device’s modem firmware had already pointed toward the Snapdragon X80, and the teardown verification makes the U.S. model unique among iPhone 18 Pro Max units.
iPhone 18 Pro Max modem findings
Apple’s smaller iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo use Apple’s custom-designed C2 modem worldwide, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the C2 modem in every other country. By contrast, the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max retains the Qualcomm Snapdragon X80.
Previous iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models used the Snapdragon X80 worldwide. The U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max also appears to include a newly identified mmWave 5G antenna module from Apple.
Performance comparisons between Apple’s C2 modem and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X80 are still pending and will require formal tests.
Apple has not explained why only the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max uses a Qualcomm modem. Qualcomm announced in 2023 that it would supply Apple with smartphone modems through 2026, leading to suggestions that Apple may be meeting contractual obligations in a limited way.
Apple’s C2 modem supports ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the U.S., unlike the earlier C1 and C1X modems. Qualcomm modems in iPhone 12 and newer models already supported mmWave 5G in the U.S., a capability Apple has since matched. Apple said the C2 delivers “meaningfully faster uploads” compared to the C1X while consuming 15% less energy.
