The iPhone 12 was Apple’s first 5G iPhone, ushering in the start of a new era of high-speed connectivity. But Apple’s already gearing up for 6G technology, even if it knows that it’s many, many years away.
As noted in a new report from Bloomberg, Apple has started posting jobs ads for wireless system research engineers who could help Apple develop and prepare for the next, next generation of cellular connectivity.
These roles are based in Silicon Valley and San Diego. Early suggestions regarding 6G speculate that it could be 100x faster than 5G.
“You will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to craft next generation wireless technology that will have deep impact on future Apple products,” one ad notes. “In this role you will be at the center of a cutting-edge research group responsible for creating next generation disruptive radio access technologies over the next decade.”
One sample job position includes “research and design next generation (6G) wireless communication systems for radio access networks.”
Jobs in prepping for 6G
Although 6G is unlikely to make an appearance before 2030, Apple clearly wants to be ready for when it does. It also suggests that Apple is seemingly keen to be the master of its own 6G destiny, unlike 5G where it was reliant on Qualcomm, a company it was feuding with at the time.
Last year, Apple began to develop its inaugural custom modem. At a meeting in December, Johny Srouji, Apple’s custom technology and chip head, said that “long-term strategic investments like these are a critical part of enabling our products and making sure we have a rich pipeline of innovative technologies for our future.”
As a past reference point, Apple jumped from 2G to 3G in 2008. It leaped from 3G to 4G in 2012 with the iPhone 5. And it jumped from 4G to 5G in 2020 with the iPhone 12.
Before we get excited about that, however, users are still experiencing only the very start of the 5G era. It will take a wider rollout, plus apps that take advantage of it, for users to realize how significant an advance it is.
Source: Bloomberg
