iPhone 12 Pro Max to Be the Only 2020 iPhone Model With Faster mmWave 5G Connectivity: Report

iPhone 12 series’ other models may come with support for the more common Sub-6GHz 5G.

By Vineet Washington | Updated: 4 September 2020 12:33 IST

iPhone 12 Pro Max is said feature a 6.5-inch display

Highlights

iPhone 12 Pro Max could be the only 2020 iPhone with mmWave 5G
iPhone 12 series is said to include four models
Apple has not confirmed anything for iPhone 12 models

iPhone 12 Pro Max, the rumoured top-end model in the upcoming iPhone 12 series, may be the only 2020 iPhone with faster millimeter-wave 5G (mmWave 5G), an online report claims. The iPhone 12 series is expected to come with 5G connectivity, as per multiple reports and analysts. Now, it is being reported that there may be some disparity in connectivity speeds among the four expected 2020 iPhone models. The report mentions that all the iPhone 12 models, except the top-end iPhone 12 Pro Max, may come with the more common Sub-6GHz 5G service.

A report by Fast Company, citing industry sources, suggests that a 6.5-inch screen iPhone, presumably the iPhone 12 Pro Max (name not confirmed), may feature the faster mmWave 5G. On the other hand, rest of the models in the series may offer relatively slower Sub-6GHz 5G connectivity. According to the report, only the largest iPhone 12 model has the internal space for the antenna design required for mmWave. The sources also add that a larger battery, required for the higher power draw, can only be fitted in this model of the iPhone 12.

Additionally, the report states that only the iPhone 12 Pro Max models sold in Japan, South Korea, and the US could support mmWave 5G.

Back in May, a report stated that only the iPhone 12 Pro and the iPhone 12 Pro Max may support mmWave 5G while the other two models, iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max, could support Sub-6GHz 5G.

The main difference between mmWave 5G and Sub-6GHz 5G is that the former allows for large bandwidth resulting in faster speeds while the latter has limited bandwidth and relatively lower speeds. According to Rootmetrics, a technology performance benchmarking website, a maximum download speed of 1.1Gbps has been achieved on mmWave, while the maximum speed achieved on Sub-6GHz is 213.1Mbps. Notably, mmWave can only travel short distances but Sub-6GHz 5G can travel longer distances.

Recently, it was reported that in an attempt to save costs, Apple may ship iPhone 12 models without any accessories such as chargers or headphones.

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