the iPhone 12 it will be very late to the 5G party, but is that a big surprise? Apple has been late to many phone trends, from large screens and multiple cameras to fast charging. But this is how the company operates. Study the market and try to find a way to stand out when you finally adopt a new technology.
This will probably be the case with 5G, too. The four new iPhone 12 models coming in the fall will reportedly feature 5G connectivity. The 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max are said to support the 5G sub-6GHz band, while the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro will support sub-6GHz and mmWave networks .
All of this means that normal iPhone 12 models will offer very good speeds (up to 300 Mbps or so) and a very good range, while Pro models will be able to achieve incredible download speeds (up to 2 Gbps), but only in-line of vision to nearby 5G nodes.
However, ultimately only the first users will be concerned about 5G bands for iPhone 12.
“The key to becoming the best 5G phone is showing what you can do with it that you couldn’t do with LTE before,” said Ramon Llamas, director of research for mobile devices and AR / VR at IDC. “I think customers just want 5G to work, regardless of which band is available.”
New 5G experiences on iPhone 12
It is a fact that Apple will highlight faster 5G downloads on the iPhone 12, but that will not be enough. With a commercial for him Samsung Galaxy S20 5G, Samsung promoted more responsive games, easier multi-person video calls, and futuristic scenarios like virtually attending a concert. It will be up to Apple to get past that, and the company should be able to do so because of a key advantage: apps.
A hallmark of the iPhone keynote is that Apple shows off third-party developers, which Apple will have to do pretty much when it launches iPhone 12. And I guarantee that at least a couple of the apps shown will be optimized for 5G.
“I am intrigued by applications that are so data intensive that you want low or no latency for them to work,” Llamas said.
I can definitely see Apple unveiling at least one exclusive game for the iPhone 12 lineup that enhances real-time multiplayer action through 5G, and it would obviously be a great way to sell. Apple arcade, the company’s $ 5-a-month gaming service.
Apple will probably also show how some of its own apps can be supercharged by 5G. Of course, you can transmit Apple TV Plus shows and movies faster, but you should also be able to download them on the go in less time.
A distinctive feature introduced by iOS 14 It’s App Clips, which allows you to use parts of an app on the spot rather than having to download the entire app. As Apple says, App Clips can be used for anything from ordering food at a restaurant to renting a scooter. Because App Clips are designed to be lightweight, the feature should work fine on 4G, but it should feel even more instantaneous on 5G.
“App Clips should load even faster, but the goal of App Clips is to be compact enough that they can respond even on 4G LTE networks,” said Avi Greengart, principal analyst at Techsponential.
iPhone 12 5G and augmented reality
Although iPhone AR apps are still in their infancy, iOS 14 promises a better augmented reality experience for the iPhone. For example, with location anchors, AR experiences can be placed in specific geographic locations, which could take AR games to the next level, assuming proper social distancing is followed.
There will also be more AR experiences accessible through the front camera with expanded facial tracking support, and Apple says video textures can be added to any part of a scene or virtual object.
In other words, AR is about to get much more robust, and having 5G on board the iPhone 12 should allow you to enjoy those AR-powered apps when you’re away from Wi-Fi. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be even more capable if they end up packing a rumored LiDAR scanner, similar to the iPad Pro.
“There’s been a lot of talk about 5G and AR,” Llamas said. This is where the speed and low latency of 5G will enable those live AR experiences. “
At first, businesses will benefit more than consumers when it comes to AR and 5G connectivity on the iPhone 12. Llamas sets the example of a manufacturing company he spoke with that designs, installs, and supports huge machinery for its customers. The company hopes AR will help with support and maintenance, and a 5G-enabled iPhone will help in cases where Wi-Fi is hard to spread.
“This is where Apple, and other vendors, could come in, but it also relies on other smartphone hardware (cameras, microphones, positioning) to make it all happen,” Llamas said.
iPhone 12 is late to 5G, but it’s still early
As you look at the wireless landscape, 5G networks are still being built. A recent Ookla study He says Verizon has lit up only 39 cities so far, while AT&T’s lower band 5G network is in 237 cities. T-Mobile, which has so far also focused on low-band 5G, leads with more than 5,000 cities. So for those buying an iPhone 12, the T-Mobile network seems like a pretty strong option at this stage.
“The 5G iPhones on T-Mobile’s network will provide the best overall 5G experience starting this fall until the middle of next year, when most of the network’s construction will be completed,” Greengart said.
It is also important to remember that this is only the first iPhone 5G. The iPhone 12 could end up being a testing ground for the next Glasses of apple as Apple learns what your phone can do when it combines 5G with AR.
“Presenting 5G as a point of sale would make more sense when they have the glasses to tie to the phone,” said Caroline Minalensi, principal analyst at Creative Strategies.
Overall, though, iPhone 12 has the best chance of making 5G much more than just a checkbox item for flagship phones. With Apple’s focus on apps and developers, you should be able to forge new experiences that go beyond download speeds.
