Oliver Haslam on July 21, 2020, 11:29 pm

All iPhone 12 Models Will Support Sub-6GHz And mmWave 5G Tech, 2021 Models May Not

It’s becoming increasingly accepted that all four of the 2020 iPhones will ship with some form of 5G technology, although which kind of 5G radios is another matter. According to a new DigiTimes report, the faster mmWave technology will be applied to all new iPhones this year.

The slower Sub-6GHz 5G was potentially thought to be coming to the iPhone 12, while the iPhone 12 Pro would get the faster mmWave tech. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, ensuring the fastest possible 5G connections on all four 2020 models.

But that might not be the case next year, according to the report.

Apple’s 2020 series of iPhones will work on both sub-6GHz and millimeter wave 5G networks, and the vendor is considering introducing its iPhones supporting either mmWave or sub-6GHz for specific markets next year, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

It’s possible that Apple will bring the slower Sub-6GHz tech to iPhones that are designed to be cheaper or sold in developing markets. That would also make sense given the fact that mmWave is unlikely to be available in those markets, too. Right now, it’s debatable whether there’s sufficient mmWave support in countries like the United States, too.

Interestingly, while all of the 2020 iPhones are set to come with the same hardware inside, it’s possible that Apple will disable some radios depending on the areas the particular iPhones are sold in. Again, that is a move that could depend on the target audience and location for those handsets.