Core Insights - The iPhone 17 series will be the last to use Qualcomm's 5G modem chips, as Apple plans to switch to its self-developed C2 modem chips for the iPhone 18 series, expected to enter mass production in 2026 [1][2] - The C2 modem will be manufactured using TSMC's 4nm "N4" process, rather than the latest 2nm technology, indicating Apple's cautious approach to adopting cutting-edge manufacturing processes for this category of chips [1][2] - The C2 modem will support both mmWave and Sub-6GHz dual-mode 5G networks, which is expected to significantly enhance network speeds compared to the previous C1 and C1X modems [2] Summary by Sections iPhone 17 and 18 Series - iPhone 17 will be the last model to feature Qualcomm's 5G modem chips, with a complete transition to Apple's self-developed C2 chips planned for the iPhone 18 series [1] - The development of the C2 modem began shortly after the release of the iPhone 16e, with mass production anticipated in 2026 [1] Manufacturing Process - The C2 modem will utilize TSMC's 4nm process, as opposed to the more advanced 2nm process, which Apple has secured over half of the initial capacity for [1][2] - Analysts suggest that there is limited incentive for Apple to switch to 3nm or 2nm processes for the C2 modem, as the performance gains may not justify the costs [2] Performance and Features - The C2 modem will provide significant advantages over the C1 and C1X modems by supporting dual-mode 5G networks, which is expected to improve network speeds [2] - TSMC's N4 process offers approximately 5% performance improvement and a 6% increase in transistor density compared to the previous N5 node [2]