iPhone 18 Pro: Camera sensor upgrade and two different modems practically confirmed by major Apple-leak

The 630GB data leak from Tata Electronics, an Indian Apple supplier, continues to provide exciting insights into the near future of Apple products—specifically, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Over the past few days, we’ve already seen drop-down videos offering a pretty good look at the back and bottom of the two upcoming Apple smartphones, as well as an X-ray view of the interior and a diagram of the motherboard design.

Apple C2 modem not for the U.S.

As reported by AppleInsider a more in-depth analysis of the data effectively also confirms two new tidbits of information. The first centers around the built-in modem of the new Pro iPhones. Until now, analysts had assumed that Apple’s C2 modem would replace the previously standard Qualcomm modem for the first time in Apples Pro-iPhones, but that appears to be only partially true. The iPhone 18 Pro models planned for the U.S. appear to continue using Qualcomm modems, while the international iPhone 18 variants, such as those for Europe and major parts of Asia, will get the new Apple C2 modem.

The reason for this regional differentiation may lie in the mmWave 5G standard, which Qualcomm modems traditionally support, but the new Apple modem apparently does not. While mmWave 5G has been deployed in some major U.S. cities, it is not common in Europe except for some test installations. According to the data analysis, the number 820-04340-06 points to an iPhone 18 Pro logic board for the US with an mmWave connector and Qualcomm components, while the international iPhone 18 Pro logic board bears the number 820-04305-06 and does not have such a connector.

New IMX905 Sony camera sensor

Both the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max use a Sony camera sensor named IMX903 for the main camera, as confirmed in a teardown following the launch. This changes with the successors, whose camera sensor now identifies as 0x905 according to Apple Insider, likely the Sony IMX905, as Digital Chat Station also mentions on Weibo. The specific advantages this sensor upgrade will bring are not yet known, nor is it clear whether it will be larger than the previous 1/1.28-inch sensor.

The significantly thicker camera module of the iPhone 18 Pro generation compared to its predecessor could well indicate a larger sensor, though a variable aperture for the main camera is also expected, which of course could contribute to the overall thickness of the camera module. At the moment it cannot be ruled out that the Tata leak contains information from earlier stages of the iPhone development and that the specs will change for mass production. That said, this new information is considered very reliable.