When iPhone 14 launches this autumn, it’s expected to offer better 5G performance than its predecessors. The iPhone 13 already offers speedy connections, but a new modem in the 2022 version will bring advantages to the next iOS handset.
Chief among these is better connections in areas with weak 5G signal.
Expect iPhone 14 to offer even better 5G
The iPhone 12 from 2020 was the first with 5G. This was provided by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem. In 2021 came the iPhone 13 with an X60. And 2022 is expected to bring the iPhone 14 with the X65.
The X55 is adequate — if slightly dated — and Qualcomm has since built on its capabilities. The X60 can combine signals from sub-6GHz and mmWave networks to provide better connections. And it uses less power.
And real-world testing shows the X65 already in the Samsung Galaxy S22 provides better performance when the 5G signal is weak. “In extremely low-signal conditions (below -120dBm LTE signal), the S22 units consistently reported better signal strength than comparable S21 models that use Qualcomm’s previous-generation X60 modem,” notes PCMag.
As wireless carriers are still building out their 5G networks, there are plenty of areas with weak signal.
Other enhancements in the X65 include 10 gigabit per second connections, up from the current peak of 7.5 Gbps. And battery drain has been further reduced.
While there has been no definite announcement that the iPhone 14 will use the Snapdragon X65, everyone is assuming it will.
Battle behind the scenes
Given the progression of iPhone modems, it should be obvious Apple and Qualcomm have a multiyear deal. But it is one that was made after a bitter legal fight.
That’s why Apple is hard at work developing its own 5G modems. It’s possible the iPhone 14 will be the last to use a Qualcomm one.
