Rumors point to Apple moving away from Qualcomm and placing its own custom modems inside the entire iPhone 18 lineup. While much of the conversation focuses on speed and battery efficiency, the shift carries a little-known security perk for users. By dropping third-party hardware, the company is preparing to give iPhone buyers a clever way to mask their exact location from mobile carriers.
The new precise location feature masks your street address
Back in iOS 26.3, the Limit Precise Location toggle was quietly introduced. This setting restricts the location data your phone feeds to cellular networks. Instead of knowing your exact street address based on cell tower pings, carriers only see the general neighborhood you are in.
Right now, this privacy option is locked behind hardware. It only works on devices packing the Apple-designed C1 or C1X modems, like the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, iPhone 17e, and the M5 iPad Pro. If you own an iPhone 17 Pro, its Qualcomm modem means you are left out.
That changes with the next generation. The upcoming Pro models and the rumored Fold device are expected to adopt the new C2 modem. The C2 chip will finally match Qualcomm’s performance by adding mmWave 5G support. More importantly, it brings the location-masking feature to the entire flagship family.
Masking your location from a carrier does not hurt your signal quality or slow down your data. It also does not block emergency services from finding you. If you dial 911, responders still get your exact coordinates. This setting purely limits what cellular networks can harvest, and it functions totally separate from the app permissions you manage in Location Services.
There is one catch. Carriers need to actively support the feature. Here in the US, Boost Mobile is currently the only network on board. Adoption is better in the UK and parts of the EU, where carriers like EE and Sky support it and actually turn it on by default.
As the hardware hits more pockets, customer demand might push more domestic networks to adopt the standard.
