{
  "id": 8451887,
  "title": "iPhone 18 Pro Max still uses a Qualcomm modem in the US, teardown confirms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/iphone-18-pro-max-still-uses-a-qualcomm-modem-in-the-us-teardown",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-19T11:45:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "9to5Mac",
    "slug": "9to5mac",
    "url": "https://9to5mac.com/2026/09/19/iphone-18-pro-max-still-uses-a-qualcomm-modem-in-the-us-teardown-confirms/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "TechInsights recently released an in-depth teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, revealing a significant detail about the device's modem. The United States variant of the iPhone 18 Pro Max continues to utilize a Qualcomm modem, despite Apple's claims that its new C2 cellular modem is used in the device. Apple's C-series modems are touted for their AI-powered improvements in cellular quality and reliability, as well as faster uploads and better energy efficiency compared to previous generations. However, the C2 modem supports mmWave 5G, which the C1 and C1X do not. It appears Apple has successfully caught up to Qualcomm, now that the C2 supports mmWave 5G connectivity. The reason behind Apple's continued use of the Qualcomm modem in the U.S. remains unclear, but it is likely a contractual decision that Apple aims to change once they can transition completely.",
  "summary": "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. more…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Tom's Guide",
        "title": "iPhone 18 Pro battery size just revealed — here's the official capacity from iFixit's teardown",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/iphone-18-pro-battery-size-just-revealed-heres-the-official-capacity",
        "published": "2026-09-18T21:17:21.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "9to5Mac",
        "title": "iPhone 18 Pro Max’s battery is so big Apple had to add this new feature to iOS 27",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/iphone-18-pro-maxs-battery-is-so-big-apple-had-to-add-this-new",
        "published": "2026-09-19T11:10:57.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "AppleInsider",
        "title": "Teardown confirms US iPhone 18 Pro Max lacks Apple's C2 modem",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/teardown-confirms-us-iphone-18-pro-max-lacks-apples-c2-modem",
        "published": "2026-09-19T12:53:59.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}