GoKawiil
Tech News
A TechInsights teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max confirms that the US model uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem instead of Apple's own C2 chip, which powers the device everywhere else and in the smaller iPhone 18 Pro globally. The X80 is the same modem found in last year's iPhone 17 Pro line, meaning Apple hasn't fully extended its in-house modem rollout to this specific US model.
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro uses its own C2 modem, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max sticks with a Qualcomm modem despite otherwise similar specs like mmWave support. Meanwhile, battery life improved for both models, but the Pro Max jumped by six hours of video playback to 45 hours total, compared to just a three-hour gain to 36 hours for the standard Pro.
Apple unveiled the A20 Pro, its first 2-nanometer chip built for iPhones, alongside a new in-house C2 modem, at an event led by CEO John Ternus. The chip will power the new foldable iPhone Duo as well as the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, featuring a 6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, dual neural engines, and a redesigned cooling system with a larger vapor chamber.