Apple Rumored to Be Developing 5G iPad Pro With mmWave Support

Tuesday January 14, 2020 7:51 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is developing 5G-enabled iPads with mmWave support, according to sources cited by industry publication DigiTimes.

A paywalled preview of the report claims Taiwan's Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will supply antenna-in-package technology for the 5G iPads, in addition to 5G iPhones. While not specified, it is almost certain that these models would be iPad Pros given 5G is a high-end feature with higher production costs.


While the first 5G iPhones are expected in fall 2020, the report does not indicate when the 5G iPads would be released. Major new features often come to the iPhone before the iPad, but a notable exception was the third-generation iPad receiving LTE support in March 2012, prior to the iPhone 5 in September 2012.

mmWave or millimeter wave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas.

The complete report should be published by tomorrow, and we will update this post if there are any additional details to share.

Update: The full report is now available and it speculates that 5G iPads could be released as early as the second half of 2020.

Related Roundup: iPad Pro
Tags: digitimes.com, 5G
Buyer's Guide: 11" iPad Pro (Don't Buy), 12.9" iPad Pro (Don't Buy)
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zorinlynx
1 week ago
I kinda wish Apple would put a cellular chipset into their Macbooks as well. A Macbook with cellular interests me a lot more than an iPad with cellular. It'd be nice to have a true "always connected" laptop no matter where I am!
Rating: 21 Votes
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Rychiar
1 week ago
I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?
Rating: 13 Votes
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zorinlynx
1 week ago


I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?


If you're on the go a lot, nothing beats having a device that's always connected to the Internet, without having to fiddle with hotspot connections all the time. When I tether my laptop I have to reconnect it every time I wake it up. Sure, it's quick, but it's another step. Meanwhile if it's always connected, I just open it and get to work no matter where I am.
Rating: 10 Votes
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gsurf123
1 week ago


Yeah, i am surprised Apple has never put a cellular chipset in their laptops. It’s one of the things that i love about my iPad. I have had cellular since the very first ipad 10 yrs ago. I am still grandfathered in on the original ATT data plan. Unlimited data for $29 And have transfered it to every iPad i have owned since. Currently using the 11” iPad Pro which has replaced my laptop Completely.

There is no need for this if you have a phone.
Rating: 7 Votes
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name99
1 week ago


I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?


Maybe take this as a teachable moment? The world is full of different people...
YOU don't think the hassle of slight delay, confirming the hot spot, and iPhone battery usage are worth ~$100. (Neither do I.) But SOME people do...
Just like some people don't think a bottle of wine is worth $500 rather than $20, while other people do. Or that a hotel night is worth $400 rather than $60.

Depends on how much money you have. Depends on how often you need to perform the operation. Depends on how your telco charges for hot-spots vs adding another device to the plan. etc etc

The world is big...
Rating: 7 Votes
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Greenmeenie
1 week ago
Yeah, i am surprised Apple has never put a cellular chipset in their laptops. It’s one of the things that i love about my iPad. I have had cellular since the very first ipad 10 yrs ago. I am still grandfathered in on the original ATT data plan. Unlimited data for $29 And have transfered it to every iPad i have owned since. Currently using the 11” iPad Pro which has replaced my laptop Completely.
Rating: 4 Votes
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konqerror
1 week ago


I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?


It's mainly used for corporate line-of-business applications where you don't want to pay for and manage employee's smartphones, particularly when you have a shared device. The device often is fixed, say in a taxi or delivery vehicle.

Another case is for security reasons where you provide a company device on a locked-down cellular plan that only can connect to the corporate network. For example, the iPads pilots use or for medical records access by a home visiting nurse.
Rating: 4 Votes
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barkomatic
1 week ago


I still have no interest in paying extra for cellular in any other devices.... the iPhone is a hotspot, who needs this?


On most carriers, the hotspot feature tops out around 25-50GB at full speed data even on an unlimited plan. If you have already hit that then its easier to just buy additional data on the iPad itself.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Greenmeenie
1 week ago


There is no need for this if you have a phone.


yes, you can use a hotspot...but then you drain your iphone battery insanely fast. So although i get your point, there is something to be said to have a dedicated ipad with cellular to get work done on. For me personally, I love having cellular on my iPad. It is why I first ditched my laptop for an iPad. And now with the iPad Pro, i don’t need a laptop at all for my artwork, photography & video editing. But everyone is different. So whatever works for you. It’s all good.
Rating: 4 Votes
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Derekjv74
1 week ago
I am really hoping for a March release. I'm itching to upgrade my 4+ year old iPad Pro 12.9. The keyboard for my ipad keeps giving me errors and due to daily use, the battery doesn't last as long as it used to.


('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/01/14/5g-ipad-pro-rumor/')


Apple is developing a 5G-enabled iPad with mmWave support, according to sources cited by industry publication DigiTimes ('https://www.digitimes.com/index.asp').

A paywalled preview of the report claims Taiwan's Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will supply antenna-in-package technology for the 5G iPad, in addition to 5G iPhones. While not specified, it is almost certain that this model would be an iPad Pro given 5G is a high-end feature with higher production costs.



While the first 5G iPhones are expected in fall 2020, the report does not indicate when the 5G iPad would be released. Major new features often come to the iPhone before the iPad, but a notable exception was the third-generation iPad receiving LTE support in March 2012 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/07/apple-introduces-the-new-ipad-with-retina-display-a5x-chip-and-5-mp-rear-camera/'), prior to the iPhone 5 in September 2012 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2012/09/12/apple-announces-iphone-5-with-4-inch-display/').

mmWave or millimeter wave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas.

The complete report should be published by tomorrow, and we will update this post if there are any additional details to share.

Article Link: Apple Rumored to Be Developing 5G iPad Pro With mmWave Support ('https://www.macrumors.com/2020/01/14/5g-ipad-pro-rumor/')

Rating: 3 Votes

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