Qualcomm’s president isn’t allowed to say when the 5G iPhone will be released, but Cristiano Amon got as close as he could today by stating that his company and Apple will release one “as fast as we can.”
The 5G modem in this much-anticipated handset will be made by Qualcomm.
5G iPhone will be “a great device”
Amon was speaking to reporters and analysts at his company’s annual Snapdragon Tech Summit when he said “We’re very happy with the progress we’re making, and I expect that they [Apple] are going to have a great device,” according to PCMag.
This should be reassuring to everyone hoping this super-speedy handset will be out when expected.
And that’s next fall. Apple and Qualcomm patched up a long-running legal battle last spring so that they could make this device. Though Amon said even a year and half is barely enough time: “We re-engaged probably later than both of us would like, and I think we’ve been working together to try to get as much as possible done.”
Ready for emerging networks
Although there are a smattering of 5G-enabled handsets on the market now, the networks to support them are just getting off the ground.
AT&T and Verizon are working hard, but currently offer 5G service in limited areas of larger cities. T-Mobile will launch its faster service this Friday, but it and Sprint are heavily depending on getting full approval for their mega-merger.
Based on the current rate of progress, it appears 5G will become a mainstream product about the time the 2020 iPhone debuts. Which is why one analysts predicted Apple will sell more 5G handsets next year than any of its rivals.
