IPhone 18 Pro May Skip mmWave 5G in U.S. Models, Leaked Files Show

A ransomware attack on Tata Electronics, one of Apple’s manufacturing partners in India, spilled more than 200,000 internal files online, including component lists, supplier data, and images of iPhone 18 Pro test units. MacRumors has not seen the stolen files directly, but the material has circulated widely enough to reveal details that cross-reference existing rumors in ways that are difficult to dismiss.

The modem situation is where things get complicated. The leaked bill of materials suggests the C2 modem may be limited to international models, with U.S. variants retaining Qualcomm components including the SDX80M, which supports mmWave 5G. Apple’s C-series modems still lack mmWave support, and U.S. carriers have spent years building out those networks, making it a harder feature to quietly drop from the Pro lineup than it was from the iPad Pro.

Pricing pressure compounds the hardware questions

The iPhone 18 Pro is shaping up to be an expensive proposition. Estimates point to a starting price as high as $1,399, up from $1,099 for the iPhone 17 Pro, with the upgrade case resting on a modest RAM and battery bump, a smaller Dynamic Island, and an N2 chip. Apple has already raised prices across much of its lineup, citing a global memory chip shortage driven largely by AI data center demand.

There is an awkward footnote to that explanation. Micron’s chief business officer suggested Apple’s own aggressive supplier negotiating tactics may have contributed to the memory shortage now pushing prices up industry-wide. The Apple TV and HomePod price hikes drew particular criticism since both products are years old with no accompanying hardware changes.

On the camera side, the variable aperture main camera is the headliner, though the source material itself questions how much real-world difference it will deliver compared to past jumps like the 8x telephoto on the iPhone 17 Pro or the 48-megapixel sensor from the iPhone 14 Pro. A rumored 5G-via-satellite feature appears limited to specific services like Siri or Maps rather than full browsing. The leaked SIM tray also confirmed a Dark Cherry color option, with Light Blue, Dark Gray, and Silver rounding out the lineup and no black model in sight.