Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the United States carries a Qualcomm Snapdragon X80 modem, according to MacRumors. The finding comes from a teardown performed by TechInsights, which examined the hardware inside the U.S. model, MacRumors reports.
The discovery points to a regional split in how Apple is supplying the device. MacRumors reports that Apple has said the iPhone 18 Pro Max sold in the U.S. differs in one way from units sold elsewhere, though the outlet's summary does not spell out the full details of that difference. The Qualcomm part identified by TechInsights sits on the U.S. side of that divide.
Coverage of the launch has also raised questions about modem performance. A separate real-world test published by zeera wireless compared the signal behavior of the iPhone 18 Pro and asked whether the C2 modem performs worse than the modem in the iPhone 17 Pro, describing the result as surprising. That test is distinct from the TechInsights teardown and addresses a different model in the lineup.
Apple has been working toward using its own modem silicon across its phones, which makes the continued presence of a Qualcomm component in a flagship U.S. model notable. The teardown evidence, as reported by MacRumors and The Mac Observer, indicates the U.S. iPhone 18 Pro Max has not moved fully to Apple's in-house modem.
What to watch next: whether Apple or Qualcomm comments on the regional modem split, and whether teardowns of iPhone 18 Pro Max units sold outside the U.S. show a different modem inside.