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iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a Qualcomm modem in the US, teardown confirms

2026-09-19 | original
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Why This Matters

This teardown reveals Apple's in-house modem rollout is uneven—its flagship iPhone 18 Pro Max in the US still relies on Qualcomm rather than Apple's newer C2 chip, despite other models and regions using Apple silicon. This matters because it signals Apple's self-sufficiency push away from Qualcomm is progressing but not yet complete, especially for its top-tier device in its largest market.

Key Takeaways
Worth a Look

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TechInsights has published one of the first in-depth iPhone 18 Pro Max teardowns. Most notably, the teardown confirms that the iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the United States still uses a Qualcomm modem.

On its tech specs website, Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro uses the Apple C2 cellular modem. In every country other than the United States, Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro Max also uses its C2 cellular modem.

The company, however, doesn’t specify which modem the U.S. variant of the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses. Speculation suggested the iPhone 18 Pro Max used a Qualcomm modem, and this teardown confirms it.

According to the TechInsights teardown, the iPhone 18 Pro Max variant sold in the United States uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 modem. This is the same modem used worldwide in the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

So, to recap, here’s how Apple’s transition to its own in-house modem technology has played out in the United States specifically:

iPhone 16 / 16 Plus / 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max: Qualcomm Snapdragon X71

Qualcomm Snapdragon X71 iPhone 16e: Apple C1

Apple C1 iPhone 17 / 17 Pro / 17 Pro Max: Qualcomm X80

Qualcomm X80 iPhone Air: Apple C1X

Apple C1X iPhone 17e: Apple C1X

... continue reading

Explore topics: iphone 18 pro max qualcomm snapdragon x80 apple c2 modem teardown techinsights
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