iPhone 18 Pro Models Again Rumored to Feature Apple's C2 Modem

Apple debuted its custom-designed C1 modem in the iPhone 16e last month, as part of a multi-year plan to transition away from Qualcomm modems. And per the latest rumor, the C1 modem will continue to roll out later this year.

apple c1
In a research note with investment firm GF Securities today, analyst Jeff Pu said the ultra-thin "iPhone 17 Air" will be equipped with the C1 modem. Fellow analyst Ming-Chi Kuo was first to reveal that this was Apple's plan last year.

Pu believes Apple's second-generation C2 modem will debut in the iPhone 18 Pro models next year, which is also something that has already been rumored previously. Look for the C2 modem to be faster overall, and for it to gain mmWave support in the United States. Further power efficiency improvements are likely too.

iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to have Qualcomm modems still.

Apple's modem supply agreement with Qualcomm runs through March 2027, so the company still has time to transition to its own custom-designed modems. Apple develops chips several years before they ship, so it should come as no surprise that the company is reportedly already working on its next-generation C2 and C3 modems.

Apple said the C1 modem is already the most power-efficient iPhone modem ever, and it held up fine in both real-world and simulated 5G speed test results.

Popular Stories

General Apps Messages Redux

iOS 26: New Messages and Phone App Features Leaked Ahead of WWDC

Friday June 6, 2025 7:27 am PDT by
Apple is planning to announce several new features for the Messages and Phone apps on iOS 26, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In a lengthy report outlining his WWDC 2025 expectations today, Gurman said that the two main changes in the Messages app will be the ability to create polls, as well as the option to set a background image within a conversation. 9to5Mac was first to report...
iPhone 17 Air Size Feature

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 17 New Features

Friday June 6, 2025 6:17 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including worse battery life, only a single ...
carplay hero dashboard

iOS 26 to Upgrade CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday June 4, 2025 6:24 am PDT by
While the spotlight has been on CarPlay Ultra lately, the regular version of CarPlay is set to receive some enhancements alongside iOS 26. Apple will announce iOS 26 at WWDC 2025 next week, and the software update is expected to upgrade the CarPlay experience in at least two ways. The first iOS 26 beta should be seeded to developers shortly after Apple's keynote, and the update will...
Apple Activity Rings Graphic

Apple Watch Gets One Crucial Fitness Metric Wrong, Researchers Say

Thursday June 5, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
The Apple Watch provides highly accurate measurements of heart rate and step count, but their estimates of calories burned can be significantly off, according to a new peer-reviewed meta-analysis conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi (via CNET). The study reviewed 56 previously published studies evaluating the Apple Watch's performance against gold-standard clinical tools ...
General iOS Mail Feature

iPhone Users Say Mail App Suddenly Showing Blank Screen on iOS 18.5

Thursday June 5, 2025 7:02 am PDT by
If the Mail app on your iPhone is not working lately, you are not alone. A growing number of iPhone users are seeing a blank screen in the Mail app, according to comments posted across the MacRumors Forums, Reddit, Apple Support Community, and other online discussion platforms. Affected users are unable to view any emails in their inboxes, and the app can also become glitchy and...
iOS 26 white

iOS 26's Digital Glass Design: Home Screen Widgets, Camera, and More

Friday June 6, 2025 8:32 am PDT by
In a lengthy report outlining his WWDC 2025 expectations today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman shared more details about iOS 26's rumored new design. According to Gurman, iOS 26 will feature a "digital glass" design inspired by visionOS, the operating system for Apple's Vision Pro headset. That is a well-known rumor by now, but he goes on to provide some more specific details, as listed below:There ...
macOS Tahoe Render

macOS Tahoe Might Support One Fewer Mac Than Previously Rumored

Saturday June 7, 2025 5:27 am PDT by
macOS 26 will drop support for several older Intel-based Mac models currently compatible with macOS Sequoia, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of leaking information about Apple's software platforms. macOS 26 will be compatible with the following Mac models, the account said:MacBook Air (M1 and later) MacBook Pro (2019 and later) iMac (2020 and later) Mac...

Top Rated Comments

257Loner Avatar
12 weeks ago
And after the C2 modem debuts in the latest iPhones, the C3 modem will follow after that. Remember, you heard it first from me!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dustin.haley Avatar
12 weeks ago

Let’s hope it’s better than the C1:



My 16e was delivered this morning via UPS - T-Mobile gave me $500 in trade-in value for my 2 & 1/2 year old Google Pixel 7 (that I only paid $350 for) so I was able to get the 16e in white for only 100 bucks ($4 x 24 months @ 0%)

I’m going to use it as my primary phone so that I can put this new C1 chip to the test and I’m going to give my 2nd iPhone (1TB 15 Pro Max) to my Dad so that he can take spatial videos

He wants to start taking spatial videos because he said that he wants to buy a 2nd generation Vision Pro (once it comes out) we got to try the new Vision Pro in Miami and it was pretty cool so my dad said he wants to get one if Apple lowers the price to $1,999 (or less)
The guy spends 5 minutes saying the 16e has a bigger battery than the 16. There have been actual tests showing the C1 is more efficient… this video also doesn’t discuss the data/speed performance at all.

Overall, useless video…
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
12 weeks ago
C2 will go into some iPhone 18 models, not sure it’ll be the Pros. For going into the Pros, it’ll have to be equal or better than the next one from QCOM and I’m not sure about that, yet.
My guess, QCOM for 18Pros and C2 for the others
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NetMage Avatar
12 weeks ago

C2 will go into some iPhone 18 models, not sure it’ll be the Pros. For going into the Pros, it’ll have to be equal or better than the next one from QCOM and I’m not sure about that, yet.
My guess, QCOM for 18Pros and C2 for the others
Better isn't just about performance. If the C2 can match the current Qualcomm modem with less power usage, why wouldn't Apple use it in the 18 Pros?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DocMultimedia Avatar
12 weeks ago
Bring on the 2029 rumors. 2028 is so yesterday.

But I'll buy one.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
F23 Avatar
12 weeks ago
has anyone done extensive testing on the C1 compared to the current iPhone modems to see performance differences?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)