After a more in-depth take a look at some new information, Apple’s iPhone 18 Professional modem scenario will not be cut-and-dried. This is what the most recent leaks say is in retailer for mobile connectivity, the A20 chip, and potential digicam enhancements.
On June 25, AppleInsider solely revealed that iPhone 18 Professional schematics and paperwork have been among the many greater than 630GB of recordsdata taken from Tata in a cyberattack.
An preliminary evaluation of the leaked documentation uncovered Apple’s plans to make use of its proprietary C2 modem within the iPhone 18 Professional and iPhone 18 Professional Max. Extra particulars have since come to gentle, because of new analysis performed by us and an analyst we have labored with prior to now.
Qualcomm chip within the U.S. and Apple C2 elsewhere
Our findings counsel Apple might implement a region-based modem method and a cut up launch, with some iPhone 18 Professional fashions utilizing the C2 chip and others a Qualcomm modem.
Whereas all fashions of the iPhone Air use an Apple-designed mode, that will not be the case with the iPhone 18 Professional.
For the U.S. variant of the iPhone 18 Professional, which is able to function mmWave compatibility, Apple seemingly plans to make use of Qualcomm modem {hardware}.
A number of Qualcomm elements, together with the SDX80M, SDR875, QDM8771, QDM8720, PMK75, PMX75, and QET7100A, are referenced in a invoice of supplies associated to the iPhone 18 Professional mannequin Apple plans to promote in the USA.
As for the iPhone 18 fashions which will likely be offered elsewhere, Tata documentation suggests these configurations will use Apple’s proprietary C2 modem. Whereas this method might sound uncommon, there may be a minimum of one potential rationalization.
Apple’s present in-house modems, the C1 and the C1X, don’t assist 5G mmWave, and it appears to be like as if the C2 will proceed this development. Till Apple develops a modem suitable with mmWave, it appears to be like as if the corporate will supply mmWave assist to iPhone 18 Professional customers by utilizing Qualcomm {hardware}.
With the iPhone 17 vary, Apple already affords a combined bag when it comes to mobile {hardware}. The iPhone Air and iPhone 17e use Apple-designed modems, whereas the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Professional, and iPhone 17 Professional Max use Qualcomm {hardware}.
This split-release technique will seemingly develop into extra advanced, because the iPhone 18 Professional now elements area into the equation. iPhone 18 Professional board schematics reinforce this concept, as two separate half numbers and logic board variants exist.
820-04340-06 corresponds to the iPhone 18 Professional logic board with a mmWave connector and Qualcomm modem {hardware}. The non-mmWave iPhone 18 Professional logic board, in the meantime, bears the half quantity 820-04305-06.
With Apple’s present iPhone 17 lineup, some mobile options already fluctuate by area.
iPhone fashions offered in mainland China, for example, don’t use eSIM, as a substitute providing assist for 2 bodily SIM playing cards. That will change within the close to future, as Tata’s documentation suggests iPhone 18 Professional fashions offered in China may achieve eSIM assist.
“No extra twin PSIM beginning in V64 P2,” reads a region-based configuration listing for the iPhone 18 Professional Max, as much as the Proto2 stage of growth. The doc outright mentions eSIM and bodily SIM assist for a configuration labeled CN, greater than seemingly referring to mainland China.
A20 Professional chip might use WMCM packaging
As AppleInsider initially identified, among the many recordsdata leaked from Tata have been paperwork associated to the upcoming A20 Professional chip, codenamed Borneo.
Additional evaluation of the greater than 630GB value of recordsdata has revealed new particulars in regards to the A20 Professional system-on-chip. The documentation seems to counsel Apple will use a WMCM-style package deal for the A20 Professional chip, with the AP and reminiscence side-by-side, in contrast to in the usual InFO-PoP packaging.
WMCM is brief for Wafer-Degree Multi-Chip Module, whereas InFo-PoP stands for Built-in Fan-Out Bundle-on-Bundle. Each are chip packaging processes, however the two are fairly completely different.
With InFo, Apple makes use of a single die housing the CPU, GPU, and the Neural Engine, and restricted reminiscence configurations. Non-CPU elements, just like the reminiscence, are added to the chip package deal fairly than being an exterior part.
Through the use of WMCM, in the meantime, Apple may have separate dies for the CPU, the GPU, and the Neural Engine. This implies the corporate may be capable of higher combine and match the mixtures of every, growing the variety of completely different chip configurations obtainable to customers.
Rumors of Apple utilizing WMCM date again to a minimum of August 2025. Tata’s recordsdata seem to corroborate these claims, a minimum of concerning the A20 Professional chip.
Moreover, a number of the iPhone 18 Professional board schematics counsel the system-on-chip will transfer nearer to the outer fringe of the dual-layer board. The storage of the machine will seemingly sit deeper between the 2 board layers, although.
This design resolution may in the end influence thermal efficiency and repairability, although the precise influence stays to be seen.
iPhone 18 Professional might get upgraded rear digicam
Diagnostic information, which compares the iPhone 17 Professional to the iPhone 18 Professional, reveal that the ID of the Large sensor has modified from 0x903 to 0x905. This greater than seemingly means the principle rear digicam of the iPhone 18 Professional is altering.
The iPhone 18 Professional may supply an upgraded rear vast digicam.
To be extra particular, the vast or major digicam of the iPhone 17 Professional makes use of the Sony IMX-903 picture sensor. Our findings would thus counsel that the iPhone 18 Professional will use the Sony IMX-905, a brand new custom-made picture sensor.
As for what the improve itself may entail, rumors from October 2025, February 2026, and April 2026 declare the iPhone 18 Professional will get a rear digicam with a variable aperture. If applied, a variable aperture would cut back the necessity for computational pictures to perform bokeh results.
Although the documentation taken from Tata reveals a large number of details about the upcoming iPhone 18 Professional and iPhone 18 Professional Max, the paperwork themselves element prototype {hardware} in numerous levels of growth. It isn’t but clear if these are ultimate schematics, or interim ones.
