Apple according to behind-the-scenes information, he plans to iPhone 18 to finally switch to its own modems and end its dependence on Qualcomm. In addition to the expected improvements in efficiency, battery life, or 5G performance, this change is also expected to bring one less noticeable benefit: limiting the accuracy of the location that the mobile operator obtains about you.
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Apple namely in iOS 26.3 added a new setting called Limit Precise Location. This feature limits the amount of location data your phone provides to the mobile network. This means that the carrier may not see the exact location of the device down to the specific address, but only the approximate area or neighborhood where the user is located.
Importantly, these are not classic location services for applications. Maps, navigation or emergency services still receive accurate data when making an emergency call. The function concerns purely communication between phones.oneI have a mobile network.
The catch is that this option currently only works on devices with a modem designed Applem. So they support it, for example iPhone Air, iPhone 16th, iPhone 17e or iPad Pro with the M5 chip. On iPhonech with a Qualcomm modem, including current Pro models, you won't find any settings at all.
That's why the switch to custom modems for iPhones 18 may be more important than it initially seemed. Apple This not only gives them greater control over the hardware, but also the ability to add new security and privacy features that they could not easily implement with third-party modems.
It is also interesting that limiting the precise location does not affect the signal quality or the actual use of the phone. The user will practically not notice the changes, but the mobile operator will not have such detailed data about his movement.
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But the function itself nestonly on the side Applu. Operators must also add support. Currently, the list of supported networks is relatively short. In the United States, only Boost Mobile supports the feature, and in the United Kingdom, EE, BT, and Sky. Support already exists in Austria, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Thailand.
Apple In addition, it is reportedly working on a new generation of its own modem, called C2. It should offer performance comparable to Qualcomm's latest modems and at the same time support mmWave 5G, which the current C1 and C1X modems lack. The C2 modem is expected to appear in the line iPhone 18 Pro and probably also in the upcoming foldable iPhone Fold.
