Apple has placed a large order for 5G antennas that use mmWave – the faster version of 5G. In the United States iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro models already feature mmWave alongside sub-6GHz 5G, but mmWave isn’t available in other locations.
This indicates that support for mmWave will be rolled out in more countries – including Canada, the UK, Germany, China and Japan – with the arrival of iPhone 13 later in 2021.
According to a Patently Apple report, Taiwanese company Qiqi has received a large order from Apple for these antennas.
The theoretical maximum speed for mmWave is 1-2 gigabits per second, compared with the current 100-400 megabits per second for what is known as Sub-6 GHz. However, the latter technology has a longer range, which is to the benefit of users outside the big cities.
Apple’s 2021 iPhones are rumoured to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X60 which should mean less energy consumption and improved battery life. More here: 5G modem in 2021 iPhone will support better battery life.
Including reporting from Macworld Sweden.
Author: Karen Haslam, Editor
Macworld editor since 2008, Karen has worked on both sides of the Apple divide, clocking up a number of years at Apple's PR agency prior to joining Macworld two decades ago.
Karen's career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs’ legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, but she lives and breathes Apple.