5G service launched in India in October, but no iPhone supports the high-speed wireless networking standard… yet. Apple plans to change that in December.
And those who are part of the iOS beta program can get access even earlier.
Both AT&T and Verizon began rolling out a new 5G version on Wednesday. And getting access via C-band doesn’t require getting a new iPhone. If your iOS device supports 5G, it can use the new version.
The same goes for iPad. If it has built-in 5G, it supports C-band.
A survey of current iPhone users found that 41% of them intend to upgrade to the iPhone 12 when it’s released this autumn.
What’s drawing in potential buyers the most is a faster connection via 5G. And there’s plenty of interest in the tiny 5.4-inch model. But survey respondents aren’t much interested in another rumored feature of the iPhone 12: a LiDAR scanner for augmented reality.
AT&T’s 5G network expanded to cover 395 markets in the United States on Thursday. Which is coverage for 205 million current and potential customers. That puts the telecom close to T-Mobile in 5G coverage area, and well ahead of Verizon.
So at least some US carriers will be ready for the 5G iPhone if it debuts in a few months, as expected.
It’s not too soon to pick out the best 5G network for your 5G iPhone. And right now, there are two top contenders, according to testing dozen by an analytics firm. Verizon offers the fastest download speeds by a wide margin. And T-Mobile offers 5G in a much broader area.
But AT&T is in there swinging too.
The iPhone 12 isn’t even out yet, and already the first report is out suggesting that it’s disappointing in terms of order numbers from Apple. A report published by Digitimes Tuesday says that mmWave-enabled 5G iPhone orders this year are likely to reach only around 15-20 million units. That’s half the previous supply chain estimate of 30-40 million units.
The paywalled report said that this is “intensifying competition” among Apple suppliers who bank on the iPhone as a large piece of their business.
Global smartphone production could see a record fall of up to 16.5 percent in the second quarter of this year thanks in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new research report.
Apple is delaying mass-production of the iPhone 12 lineup by around one month, according to a Monday report from The Wall Street Journal.
Sources blame the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic for the delay, which is likely to mean Apple’s next-generation handsets won’t be available until October. A trusted source for Cult of Mac recently made the same prediction.
A Monday report out of Asia reignites claims that at least one iPhone 12 model will feature a display-embedded Touch ID sensor.
Sources believe a number of Apple partners, including OLED display-maker BOE and Qualcomm, are working on the technology.
The first iPhone with 5G reportedly won’t debut alongside the other new iOS handsets early this autumn. Trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple will begin producing a pair of 4G handsets in September, but won’t start making the 5G model until October.
Kuo also says an iPhone SE Plus with a larger screen than the current one might come out far later than he originally thought.
