Kuo: All 5G iPhones on Track to Launch in Fall 2020, Including Both Sub-6GHz and mmWave Models

Last month, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected four 5G-enabled iPhones to launch in the second half of 2020, including models with both sub-6GHz and mmWave support depending on the region.

fouriphones2020
Kuo said iPhone models with mmWave would be available in five markets, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom, adding that Apple may disable 5G functionality in countries that do not offer 5G service or have a shallow 5G penetration rate to reduce production costs.

Kuo has now doubled down on his prediction. In a follow-up research note today, viewed by MacRumors, he said Apple is still on track to release both sub-6GHz and sub-6GHz-plus-mmWave iPhone models simultaneously in the second half of 2020, with shipments beginning in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter.

Last week, analyst Mehdi Hosseini had disagreed with Kuo's timeframe, claiming that sub-6GHz models would launch in September 2020 and mmWave models would follow in December 2020 or January 2021.

Kuo says development of 5G iPhones with both sub-6GHz and mmWave support is progressing as scheduled, however, and he has the more reputable track record as it relates to forecasting Apple's roadmap. So, as of now, it looks like the entire 5G iPhone lineup will be announced in September as usual.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...

Top Rated Comments

Agent OrangeZ Avatar
77 months ago
Oh my gawd man! why do people insist that they want USB-C on the iPhone? Lightning is a better, more durable connector!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
77 months ago
My X seems to do just fine and connect to WiFi most of the time, so this is not gonna make much a difference. Besides, how much faster can you post a reply on Macrumors?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Red Oak Avatar
77 months ago
5G is over-hyped. It will take years still before there is widespread coverage with material speed increases. You literally need to be within 100 yards line of site of a tower to see the advertised speeds. Anything in the way of that (eg a tree, a wall, in your car, etc...) will dramatically slow it down

The T-Mobile rollout is especially a joke
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
827538 Avatar
77 months ago
“Apple may disable sub-6GHz functionality in countries that do not offer 5G service or have a shallow 5G penetration rate to reduce production costs.”

Shouldn't this be disable mm-wave 5G? Standard sub 6GHz 5G is the pretty run of the mill updates to LTE using normal antennas. It’s the high frequency mm-wave that’s the difficult and expensive part (and also pretty useless).


If they have USB-C, fix the atrocious Mail app, and at least reduce the notch, I might, MIGHT be tempted back.

Then again, it also depends on what Samsung does between now and then as well.

Given that I'm not invested in wearables or an ecosystem (too much, I have 3 Macs and LOVE macOS), Sammy gives me the best single-device-in-my-pocket experience. I can't stand to use my wife's iPhone (although I've been getting trained up...quite unintuitive OS it has become).
What’s wrong with the Mail app? I use it for 5 different accounts without issue.

I tried out a friends Samsung Galaxy recently and it felt like the most kludged together scattergun approach. I love the slick, vertically integrated approach of iPhone’s so I am of the opposite opinion. Everything from airdrop, to hand off and integrated personal hotspot with my Mac just works.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoodWheaties Avatar
77 months ago

Based on what?

USB-C not only has better transfer speeds.... it’s more efficient at charging devices

USB-C FTW!
Lightning is a much better connector for “iPhones”. Manufacturers have been playing fast and loose with the USB standard to get these crazy charging speeds and now it can be difficult to know what cable will do what. Will this cable charge at 5W, 18W, or 30W? Most of the time it’s just trial and error. With Pixel 4 it won’t even charge with some cables. And don't get me started on USB-C to 3.5mm adapters. With Lightning you know it’s gonna work.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
77 months ago

A new Airpods will come with the purchase of iPhone 12 and the people are sick of the terrible notch screen.
iPhone 12 won’t be bundled with airpods, that would add another $100 to the selling price unnecessarily, since many already have them or don’t want them. And relatively few care about the notch or think it’s “terrible” ?

Apple doesn’t care what a couple hundred trolls or members of the Apple hate club think. They’ve sold upwards of a couple hundred million iPhones with the notch; the people have spoken.

The notch, though likely smaller in the coming years, could easily be around for another 5-10 years. Get over it, or get a different phone ?‍♂️
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)