A new leak from a Chinese source revealed that the upcoming Apple C2 modem, which is expected to come within the iPhone 18 Pro series, will support 5G connectivity via satellite.
The report explained that the new modem will support the New Radio Non-Terrestrial Networks (NR-NTN) standard, allowing devices to connect to low-Earth orbit satellites to provide direct Internet in areas that lack coverage of traditional communications networks.
This is not the first time that there has been news about Apple’s move towards NR-NTN technology, as previous reports indicated the company’s plans to enter this field. The C2 modem is also expected to be integrated directly into the main chip, unlike the current C1 and C1X modems.
In a related context, the leak stated that Huawei conducted public tests of its solution for NR-NTN technology during the past year, while it appears that the year 2026 may witness a broader launch of support for Internet via satellite at several smartphone manufacturers.
