Apple's next-generation C2 modem will bring support for 5G satellite connectivity to this year's iPhone 18 Pro models, based on claims made by a Chinese leaker.
In a post on Weibo, the account "Fixed Focus Digital" said that Apple's C2 baseband modem – expected to debut in iPhone 18 Pro models – will support NR-NTN, or New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks.
The NR-NTN standard can relate to direct phone-to-satellite links as well as the use of satellites as backhaul for carrier networks to extend coverage into remote areas. Going on a machine translation, the leaker appears to suggest Apple's implementation will allow iPhones to connect directly to satellites for internet access.
This is not the first time we have heard rumors that the iPhone 18 Pro will support 5G satellite connectivity. However, it is the first occasion that NR-NTN support has been explicitly tied to Apple's C2 modem as a technical specification of its baseband stack.
Last October, The Information's Wayne Ma reported that Apple plans to add support in iPhones as early as this year for 5G networks that "aren't tethered to Earth's surface, which includes satellites." This would reportedly give the iPhone full internet access over satellite.
Then in November, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman referenced Ma's report and said that Apple is developing "satellite over 5G" for this year's iPhones, allowing the devices to leverage cellular towers to tap satellites for increased coverage when standard networks aren't available.
Note that Gurman's report describes support for a satellite backhaul for carrier networks, not the direct device-to-satellite model that Fixed Focus Digital's latest leak and Ma's report suggests.
According to Gurman, Apple is also working on several additional satellite features, including an API to let developers add satellite connections to third-party apps, satellite-powered Apple Maps, and support for photos in satellite messages. Apple also reportedly aims to eliminate the need to physically point the device toward the sky, allowing satellite to stay connected in your pocket or even indoors.
It's unclear what stage of development these other features are in, and there's a high likelihood that they do not relate to Apple's initial adoption of 5G satellite connectivity this year. Bringing many of these features to market will also require major upgrades to Globalstar's aging satellite infrastructure, which Apple currently relies on.
Apple's existing satellite features on iPhone 14 models and newer are limited to the Emergency SOS feature, the Find My and Messages apps, and roadside assistance. These features require you to have a clear view of the sky for direct satellite communication.
Previous reporting suggests that the C2 modem will be more capable than the current C1 and C1X. The C2 may feature mmWave 5G connectivity, for example, and it is likely to be closer in performance to the Qualcomm modem chips that it will replace.
Fixed Focus Digital previously broke the news ahead of launch about the iPhone 16e name for Apple's upcoming iPhone SE successor.
