Apple's iPhone 18 Modem Switch Comes With a Quiet Privacy Benefit
MacRumors • • general
Key Points:
- Apple is rumored to expand its in-house designed modems to the entire iPhone 18 lineup, phasing out Qualcomm modems and enhancing speed, efficiency, and privacy features.
- iOS 26.3 introduced a "Limit Precise Location" setting that restricts the granularity of location data shared with mobile networks, improving user privacy by limiting location to a neighborhood level rather than a precise address.
- This privacy feature currently only works on devices with Apple-designed C1 or C1X modems, such as the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e, and M5 iPad Pro, excluding Qualcomm modem models like the iPhone 17 Pro.
- The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Fold models, expected to use Apple's new C2 modem, will likely expand this privacy option across the full iPhone lineup, though carrier support is required for full functionality.
- The C2 modem is anticipated to offer performance comparable to Qualcomm's latest modems, including support for mmWave 5G, a feature absent in the current C1 and C1X modems.