Apple Reportedly Planning Substantial Increase of Shipments for 5G mmWave iPhone Models in 2021 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Reportedly Planning Substantial Increase of Shipments for 5G mmWave iPhone Models in 2021

by

Apple is expected to substantially increase shipments of mmWave enabled iPhone models in 2021 thanks to the increased demand and improved global support for the newer technology, according to DigiTimes.

Screen Shot 4
Apple currently only offers mmWave-enabled iPhone 12 models in the United States and is likely to hold off on offering the option to more countries until the technology is more widely available. According to DigiTimes, that wider availability will take place this year, and as a result, Apple is set to increase shipments of mmWave iPhones.

Apple is expected to boost its 5G mmWave smartphone shipment goal for 2021 as the global economy is on track for stable recovery, and its demand for AiP modules supporting mmWave iPhones will grow remarkably this year, the sources said.

In 2020, Apple lowered its 5G mmWave iPhone shipment projections as construction of the corresponding infrastructure in the US and Europe was severely dragged down by the pandemic.

The iPhone 12 was the first iPhone to feature 5G connectivity. 5G connection includes two types of networks, mmWave, which is considered to be the next widely adopted standard that offers super-fast speeds, and a 6GHz connection that is currently the conventional option worldwide. mmWave networks work through higher frequency radio bands that can range from 24Ghz to as high as 40Ghz.

Due to their increased frequency, mmWave is extremely limited in range and requires more advanced and expensive infrastructure compared to 6GHz. Cities and countries around the world are still very much in the early stages of adopting mmWave technology. Even in cities where mmWave technology is present, real-world 5G speeds can differ greatly depending on your proximity to the mmWave tower and the device you're using.

When we tested Verizon's mmWave network with a Samsung Galaxy S10 5G smartphone in Chicago in mid-2019, we reached speeds as high as almost 2GBs. Still, we found that speeds vary drastically depending on your location and other factors. You can checkout our full mmWave vs. sub-6GHz guide for more information and insight.

Tags: 5G, DigiTimes, mmWave
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

Michael Scrip Avatar
Michael Scrip
66 months ago
mmWave... providing super-fast internet to street corners and sidewalks!

🤣
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Justin Cymbal Avatar
Justin Cymbal
66 months ago
I bought the iPhone 12 Pro right when it came out and love it!

I live in the Boston area and the 5G here is extremely fast
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0
0924487
66 months ago

mmWave... providing super-fast internet to street corners and sidewalks!

🤣
Seriously, if we need more 5G towers than wifi routers, why don't we just litter the city with wifi access points? In Shanghai, they have "i-Shanghai", which is a wifi SSID you can connect to for free everywhere in the city. That's better than 5G for mobile phones.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
ksec
66 months ago

In Canada we don’t have mmW deployments and our iPhones do not have the radio transparency window opposite the SIM card slot.

I wonder how many other countries are also ignoring that technology and getting similar iPhones. I wonder if any anyone has bargained for a better price on the iPhones that are missing the radio!
They are not really ignoring, so to speak. Is just that most of them had trials and there is nothing that shows a decent cost / benefits ratio. So as far as I am aware most of the major carriers around the world dont plan to have them implemented. The keyword here is "plan". i.e If you have a plan *now*, it would still take 3-4 years for national roll out. If they dont even have a plan, well god knows if it will ever be out.

It is the same thing with small cells ( or now called nano cells or whatever the marketing decide to call it ). It is great in theory but in reality the business model doesn't really work.

That was the last update in 2019 when I looked at multiple carrier 5G deployment for something up to 2023. I dont know if there are changes in plan but I seriously doubt it.

Although Apple's support of mmWave doesn't just have to be 5G. It could be for other usage as well such as 802.11ay. Allowing 10Gbps *real world* transfer between line of sight. You could have iPhone transferring to another iPhone upgrade happening in minutes or seconds.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GeoStructural Avatar
GeoStructural
66 months ago

Honestly, isn’t there a way to completely disable that antenna? It’s responsible for phone overheating and overconsumption, and I just don’t feel comfortable with that technology, which is expensive and completely useless.

Please Apple make mmwave optional.
I have a similar problem, my phone keeps switching between antennas and that is not “seamless” as Apple describes it, I just lose reception for a while. I have tried putting it back to LTE and it has solved the issue, but then I have to go to settings every time I would like to use 5G. Annoying.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
jasonefmonk
66 months ago
In Canada we don’t have mmW deployments and our iPhones do not have the radio transparency window opposite the SIM card slot.

I wonder how many other countries are also ignoring that technology and getting similar iPhones. I wonder if any anyone has bargained for a better price on the iPhones that are missing the radio!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments