iPhone 18 Could Finally Ship With Apple’s Own 5G Modem

Apple has taken another clear step toward controlling its own destiny in smartphone connectivity, and all signs now point to the iPhone 18 as the model where that shift becomes unmistakable.

While the iPhone 17 and 17 Pro families still lean heavily on Qualcomm’s proven 5G modems, Apple is steadily signaling that the company’s homegrown technology will soon take center stage across more devices.

During a recent interview with CNBC, Arun Mathias, Apple’s Vice President of Wireless Software Technologies and Ecosystems, effectively confirmed the trajectory. When asked why Apple’s flagship iPhones of this generation didn’t yet feature Apple’s modem, Mathias explained that the company had been intensely focused on developing the right connectivity for the iPhone Air. He underscored that the iPhone 17 line remains a strong portfolio, but he added a telling remark: Apple’s own cellular solutions will eventually expand into more of its products.

This aligns perfectly with months of industry chatter and early leaks suggesting that the iPhone 18 Pro, and likely the standard iPhone 18, will debut with Apple’s proprietary 5G silicon. That move would give Cupertino far more control over one of the most crucial aspects of its hardware stack. It could also reduce reliance on Qualcomm, a company with which Apple has had a complicated relationship marked by licensing disputes and uneasy truces.

Apple has already proven that it can build a functional modem. The C1X modem found in the iPhone Air and the earlier C1 model in the iPhone 16e both demonstrated that Apple is serious about modem design. These chips are not just experimental add-ons; they represent years of engineering investments, following Apple’s acquisition of Intel’s smartphone modem business in 2019. Insiders note that Apple’s modem development teams have been refining efficiency, power management, and spectrum adaptability – areas that could translate into longer battery life and more reliable performance once the technology scales to flagship devices.

Interestingly, Apple is not alone in navigating the tricky modem landscape. Samsung, for instance, supplies modems for Google’s Pixel 10 line while still leaning on Qualcomm hardware for its Galaxy S25. Reports suggest that the Galaxy S26 may finally feature Samsung’s own Exynos 2600 modem, highlighting how even industry giants find it difficult to decouple from Qualcomm’s deep expertise. This shared struggle makes Apple’s gradual but deliberate rollout strategy all the more understandable.

What does this mean for everyday iPhone users? Probably less than the headlines suggest – at least in the short term. Most consumers are unlikely to notice an immediate jump in download speeds or call quality simply because the modem supplier has changed. Connectivity is already robust on today’s devices, and any major leap would likely require broader network upgrades rather than a single hardware swap. Still, the strategic implications are enormous. By owning more of its silicon pipeline, Apple gains tighter integration, potentially lowers costs over the long haul, and positions itself to innovate faster in areas like satellite connectivity, low-power IoT, and future wireless standards beyond 5G.

So while the shift might not light up Apple’s marketing slides with dramatic performance claims, it represents something subtler but more significant: a company ensuring that one of the most critical components of its most profitable product is entirely under its control. When the iPhone 18 arrives, it may look and feel like an incremental evolution on the surface, but under the hood it could mark one of the most pivotal changes in Apple’s wireless journey.