Apple clings to old tech for iPhone 18
Apple will manufacture its C2 baseband chip for the iPhone 18 series using an older semiconductor process rather than the latest technology, according to a report from Commercial Times. The company plans to produce the modem on TSMC’s 4-nanometer N4 node instead of the newer 2-nanometer process that will power the A20 processors.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said modems consume less power than other smartphone components and do not benefit significantly from advanced manufacturing processes. The C2 chip will support both millimeter-wave and sub-6 GHz networks, offering faster speeds than the C1 modem in the iPhone 16e. TSMC’s N4 process delivers 5 percent better performance and 6 percent higher transistor density compared with the N5 node.
Apple expects to ship the C2 modem across all iPhone 18 models in 2026, marking the end of its partnership with Qualcomm for cellular technology. The transition follows years of development on the company’s first baseband chips. The earlier C1 modem also uses 4-nanometer manufacturing, suggesting Apple sees limited value in adopting cutting-edge processes for wireless components.
