We’ve seen reports this year that offer conflicting information on the mmWave 5G support that will be enjoyed by iPhone 12 users when the new handsets debut later this year. Some have said all new iPhones will boast mmWave 5G, while others have said the feature will be limited to specific models or certain countries.
A new supply chain report (shared by 9to5Mac) doesn’t provide a firm answer on the subject, but it does offer a bit more information.
While sub-6HGz 5G offers faster speeds than LTE, along with lower latency, it doesn’t match the super-fast speeds offered by mmWave 5G. However, sub-6HGz 5G provides wider coverage than mmWave, which is much shorter-range.
While iPhones will support sub-6GHz 5G for sure, things are more uncertain when it comes to wwWave 5G.
A paywalled Digitimes (via 9to5Mac) report says that Apple’s supply-chain is expecting the number of mmWave 5G iPhone shipments this year to be half of earlier estimates.
Shipments of mmWave-enabled 5G iPhones slated for launch later this year are estimated to reach only 15-20 million units in 2020 compared to a previous supply chain estimate of 30-40 million units, intensifying competition among Apple’s suppliers.
Unfortunately, the DigiTimes report doesn’t tell us which iPhones might go without mmWave 5G this year, but it does offer support for the argument that not all models will have support for the faster standard.
