Apple’s 2026 flagship iPhones could use its in-house second-gen modem. The C2 baseband should be a big upgrade over the iPhone 16e’s C1 modem in terms of performance.
More importantly, it will supposedly support mmWave 5G connectivity, fixing a major shortcoming of the current C1 modem.
iPhone 18 Pro could use Apple’s C2 modem
After years of research, acquiring Intel’s 5G division, and pouring billions of dollars, Apple launched the iPhone 16e with its own 5G modem. Dubbed C1, the company claims it is the “most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone.” But this comes at a cost, with the baseband lacking mmWave 5G support. This explains why Apple uses the C1 on the iPhone 16e. The missing mmWave support won’t be a bummer for most customers in emerging markets.
Rumors indicate the company will equip the upcoming iPhone 17 Air with the C1 modem, too. This is thanks to its superior efficiency, enabling the super-slim iPhone to last longer.
As per GF Securities analyst Jeff Pu, Apple’s C2 modem will debut on the iPhone 18 Pro lineup in 2026. It will seemingly consume less power and support mmWave 5G for faster mobile data speeds. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also previously claimed that the 2026 iPhone 18 Pro will use Apple’s C2 modem.
Apple starts moving away from Qualcomm for its 5G modem needs
If Apple fully commits to its C2 modem for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, it would signal a significant step in the company’s long-overdue shift away from Qualcomm. It’s unclear if Apple will use its C1 modem on the non-Pro iPhone 18 models or stick to a Qualcomm baseband for them.
Apple extended its 5G modem deal with Qualcomm through March 2027. The contract was initially supposed to expire in 2025. Based on this, it seems likely that Apple will want to move away from Qualcomm baseband entirely for its 2027 iPhones.
Source: MacRumors
