Apple is planning to increase the availability of 5G mmWave capable iPhone models to more countries around the world with the release of the iPhone 13 later this year, offering even more customers access to the faster and newer technology, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that infrastructure for mmWave technology will increase substantially this year in places like Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European countries. Apple currently sells the mmWave iPhone 12 in the United States, which allocates to only 30-35% of overall iPhone 12 shipments.
While 5G smartphone shipments increased significantly in 2020, most of them only supported Sub-6 GHz. We believe that mmWave will create more diverse applications than Sub-6 GHz because of the benefits of faster speed and lower latency. The mmWave model of the iPhone 12 only supports the US market, and the shipment allocation of the total iPhone 12 is about 30–35%. We predict that the iPhone 13 mmWave models will be available in more countries (e.g., Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European mobile operators), so the shipment allocation of iPhone 13 mmWave models will increase substantially to 55–60%.
According to the analyst, this year, mmWave capable iPhone 13 models will allocate to 55-60% of shipments, a significant year-over-year increase. In terms of design, compared to the standard 6GHz handsets, mmWave iPhone 12 models feature a visible antenna on the right side of the device. Kuo expects the same antenna design to continue with the 2021 iPhone lineup.
A DigiTimes report earlier this month echoed similar information as Kuo, stating that Apple is expected to boost shipments of the mmWave iPhone this year. mmWave compared to the standard and more mainstream sub-6GHz technology offers faster speeds, but requires more advanced infrastructure and works in limited range.
Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device.
Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last.
Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski
The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports.
The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...
Thursday April 24, 2025 12:09 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
When an iPad running iPadOS 19 is connected to a Magic Keyboard, a macOS-like menu bar will appear on the screen, according to the leaker Majin Bu.
This change would further blur the lines between the iPad and the Mac. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously claimed that iPadOS 19 will be "more like macOS," with unspecified improvements to productivity, multitasking, and app window management,...
Ok so 5g isnt that common just now, but if you are going to buy a shiny new phone for such an enormous amount of money you want it to be good for a few years as these services roll out across the world... or even so that it holds its trade in value to sell it to someone else in a few years time when you upgrade. So I wouldn't buy a phone without this capability: it was my main reason for not buying this year, along with generally being happy with the performance of my existing phone.
When the mmWave works, the speeds are really astonishing. The sports complex in the large market US city I live near has it (I've used it there) and the beach towns on the DelMarVa peninsula are fairly well covered including Dewey, Rehoboth, and Ocean City Maryland. So much so, that last time I traveled to OCMD I didn't bother with the hotel Wifi. It was too slow.
As far as RF exposure, if that's your concern, simply turn off the 5G except when you're using your phone as a data hot spot, or using other data intensive applications. The non mm 5G is really no improvement over LTE right now in most places, and most of the time I'm using a headset or Car Play for conversations.
I had so much 2M and 70CM RF cook my brain in college that I seriously doubt whatever this phone is putting out is going to make a difference at this point. Unless someone hooks it up to a light saber or something....