iPhone 18 Pro Max in U.S. Equipped With Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem
TechInsights has published an iPhone 18 Pro Max teardown that confirms the U.S. version of the device is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem. The device's modem firmware had already pointed towards the Snapdragon X80 modem. The 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, so…
In a teardown of the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, it has been confirmed that the device is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem. This is unique, as the smaller iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone Duo utilize Apple's custom-designed C2 modem worldwide. In contrast, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the C2 modem in all countries except the United States.
The U.S. version of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max also share the Snapdragon X80 modem, although TechInsights noted the inclusion of a newly-identified Apple mmWave 5G antenna module in the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max. The reason behind this difference in modem types remains unknown, and Apple has not provided an explanation.
Qualcomm had previously announced that it would supply Apple with smartphone modems through 2026, which may be why Apple is only using a Qualcomm modem in the U.S. version. Despite supporting ultra-fast mmWave 5G in the United States, Apple's C2 modem, used in other countries, is capable of delivering faster uploads while consuming 15% less energy than the Qualcomm modem.
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