With 5G touted as the next big thing in mobile connectivity, expect
to hear it is as a major buzzword starting 2019. It has already started,
in fact, as mobile manufacturers have been unveiling phones, calling it
the one of the first 5G devices, even though these phones will not see
the light of day until 2019, like the Mi Mix 3. Expect phones from
OnePlus, Samsung and other Android OEMs to release their first 5G phones
next year. Apple, on the other hand, will take a little longer to
release its first 5G iPhone.
As per a report
by Fast Company, Apple will launch its first 5G-supported iPhone in
2020. The report cites a source familiar with Apple's plans, adding that
the company will use Intel's 8161 5G modem chip in its 2020 iPhones. As
Apple's battle with Qualcomm sees no end in sight, the company will
likely rely on Intel as the sole provider of modems for iPhones.
The
road to launching the first 5G iPhone will not be easy as the report
adds that Apple is currently not happy with Intel. This is because the
Intel 8060 modem chip which will be used to test out 5G iPhone is seeing
heat dissipation issues that needs to be resolved. That being said, the
problem is not severe enough for Apple to go back to Qualcomm for
supplying 5G modems. As an alternative "Plan B" option, Apple is in
talks with MediaTek to supply 5G modems if Intel fails to deliver.
Apple's
plans to rely on Intel for modems began as early as 2015. This year's
iPhones that include the iPhone XR, XS and XS Max use Intel modems
exclusively and we expect to see this trend continue for a while. It's
not surprising for Apple to wait until other companies try their hand at
a new technological innovation. 2019 will see the first wave of 5G
phones, but it will take a couple of years before 5G becomes a standard.
You can expect to see the upcoming CES and MWC in 2019 to focus a lot
on 5G as well as some of the first 5G Android phone from the likes of
Oppo, Huawei and Xiaomi.
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