iPhone 15: mmWave 5G Remains Limited to U.S. Models

Apple's cellular band page confirms that only U.S. models of the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max support mmWave 5G bands, as has been the case since the iPhone 12 series was released in 2020.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro lineup Action button 230912
mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, which is ideal 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. All four iPhone 15 models support sub-6GHz 5G outside of the U.S., and sub-6GHz networks are still more common than mmWave networks in countries that have rolled out 5G.

Australia, China, Japan, and Singapore are some of the countries outside of the U.S. that have deployed mmWave networks so far.

Apple announced the iPhone 15 series on Tuesday during its "Wonderlust" event. All four new models are equipped with a USB-C port and the Dynamic Island, while the Pro models have many additional features, including the A17 Pro chip, a lightweight titanium frame, a customizable Action button, 5x optical zoom on the Pro Max model, Wi-Fi 6E support, an increased 8GB of RAM, and more. The devices are available to pre-order starting this Friday at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, and will be released on Friday, September 22.

Related Roundups: iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro
Tags: 5G, mmWave
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
icloud private relay outage

iCloud Private Relay Experiencing Outage

Thursday July 25, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...

Top Rated Comments

tangfish Avatar
11 months ago
I would trade the mmWave capability for a physical SIM card tray in a heartbeat.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
IIGS User Avatar
11 months ago
MM wave in the US was pretty much a mistake. Wireless carriers didn’t see the C band coming as soon as it did.

Now there’s legacy infrastructure related to MM wave in certain densely populated areas that will require years of support to realize. ROI before they’re phased out.

MM wave is an odd branch on the wireless family tree that will die out.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
max2 Avatar
11 months ago
That is stupid.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kiranmk2 Avatar
11 months ago
It made sense when these mmWave networks had not rolled out (and likely not yet licensed), but when other countries have started their rollouts (and presumably devices are allowed that use that band) it seems strange not to sell into those markets.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
11 months ago

It made sense when these mmWave networks had not rolled out (and likely not yet licensed), but when other countries have started their rollouts (and presumably devices are allowed that use that band) it seems strange not to sell into those markets.
I would imagine most of the rollouts are on paper, and not substantial enough to merit support in the phones yet.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Agent OrangeZ Avatar
11 months ago
Hmmm.... US gets mmWave but no physical SIM but the rest of the world doesn't get mmWave, but gets physical SIM.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)