What you need to know
- A new report claims only one of Apple's 2020 iPhones will feature the fastest 5G connectivity.
- Fast Company says a source told them only the largest iPhone 12 Pro will feature mmWave 5G.
- That's said to be because that's the only iPhone with the required space inside.
A new report, citing a wireless industry source, claims that only one of the 2020 iPhone lineup will feature the faster mmWave 5G connectivity. All devices will offer 5G, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max is said to be the only one that will get the fastest version.
The Fast Company report notes that only the iPhone 12 Pro Max will have the required space inside, with larger batteries and the mmWave radio taking up more room than the other iPhones can afford.
The source says only the largest phone in the line has room inside for the special antenna design required for millimeter wave and larger battery needed to accommodate millimeter wave's significant power draw. Also, only the U.S., Korea, and Japan versions of the Pro Max will support millimeter-wave 5G.
The news that most countries won't even get mmWave support from the iPhone 12 Pro Max will disappoint some, although it's unlikely the market for it is huge at this point. 5G connectivity at any level is still in its infancy, so it's debatable as to whether mmWave 5G will be missed at all. Despite its huge speed capabilities.
If Sub-5 5G is a Camry, millimeter-wave 5G is a Mercedes S-Class. It travels over high-frequency radio spectrum, between 24 GHz and 39 GHz, and delivers download speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps) and sometimes beyond. On the other hand, the signal has trouble penetrating objects such as buildings and is more expensive for carriers to deploy than a lower-frequency service.
Pouring one out for all Camry owners right now.
