Apple Shifts iPhone 18 Lineup to In-House Modems, Extending Carrier Location Privacy
Updated
Updated · MacRumors · May 14
Apple Shifts iPhone 18 Lineup to In-House Modems, Extending Carrier Location Privacy
5 articles · Updated · MacRumors · May 14
Apple is expected to put its own modem across the full iPhone 18 range, replacing Qualcomm parts and bringing a privacy feature now limited to a handful of devices.
In iOS 26.3, Limit Precise Location reduces the cellular-tower data shared with carriers, potentially narrowing visible location from a street address to a neighborhood without affecting signal quality or emergency-call accuracy.
That setting currently works only on Apple modem devices such as the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e and M5 iPad Pro; Qualcomm-based models including iPhone 17 Pro lack it.
Carrier support remains the main constraint: Boost Mobile supports the feature in the U.S., while EE, BT and Sky do in the UK, alongside carriers in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and Thailand.
Apple's rumored C2 modem is also expected to close the performance gap with Qualcomm and add mmWave 5G, broadening the case for a full in-house switch.
Apple's new modem promises better privacy, but will most users even get it without widespread carrier support?
With Apple ditching Qualcomm, can its new modem truly power a future of 'Always-Connected MacBooks'?
As Apple's new privacy feature goes mainstream, could it render police geofence warrants obsolete?