Apple has revealed their iPhone 12, 12 mini, 12 pro, and 12 pro max, and these are all 5G supported and they have 5G connectivity. They were launched in October 2020. In addition, all apple’s iPhone devices from the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 models are also supporting 5G networks. The 5G modems in the devices work both with the mmWare and sub 6GHz that are the two types of 5G.
5G explained
5G is the fifth successor that is a cellular wireless and successor to 4G. Most people talk about 5G technology. Additionally, they are also talking about mmWave or the millimeter wave spectrum.
The millimeter-wave technology has open bandwidth that offers blazing-fast data transfer speeds and this is highly sensitive to buildings, trees, and other different obstacles. However, it is noted that not all 5G technology is going to use the mmWare technology that transfers the data at a lightning-quick speed. Over time, the mid-band 5G speeds will become quicker. Currently, 5G talks are based on the mmWare spectrum.
To further understand this, there are certain types of 5G networks that are currently in existence.
Types of 5G networks
The more networks are the fastest 5G networks. However, mmWare is short-range and it can be obscured due to buildings, trees, and other obstacles. Due to this, it is limited to major cities and urban areas along with venues such as concerts, airports, and other places where people congregate.
On the other hand, the Sub 6GHz is a much widespread technology that is available in suburban and rural areas across the united states and many other countries. This is faster than 5G networks and you get improvements in speed as the technology will evolve.
The iPhones that support 5G are supporting both Sub 6GHz networks and mmWare. However, the mmWare technology is not available in other countries. The iPhones that are not purchased in the united states do not have the mmWare antenna on the side and are not able to connect to the mmWare networks. This decision is mainly made by apple as most of the countries do not have mmWare 5G networks.
Qualcomm’s X55 modem
The models of iPhone 12 use Qualcomm’s X55 modem and the iPhone 13 uses Qualcomm X60 modem. However, Apple has created custom antenna and radio components to enhance its connectivity and software optimization. Apple believes it will benefit 5G without using additional power or impacting the battery life.
Benefits of 5G?
There are several benefits of 5G that provide better download and upload speeds. This helps in speeding up the website, loading websites, and downloading TV shows or movies. This has made the lives of internet users much easier.
It has increased the bandwidth that has helped with streaming services and one can watch through higher resolution and improved facetime calls. The quality of these calls has also improved. Over the 5G or wifi, these calls work in 1080p resolutions.
In the areas where LTE speeds are slow, due to the number of people 5G will free the bandwidth and also reduce the congestion to provide a faster usage speed.
Does 5G drain battery?
According to the battery tests, the iPhone 12 and 12 pros saw a much faster battery drain when they are connected to the 5G network as compared to the LTE network.
During the test, the iPhone 12 had lasted for eight hours and 25 minutes. However, the iPhone 12 pro worked for nine hours and six minutes when connected to 5G. When the iphone 12 lasted for 10 hours and 23 minutes, while the iphone 12 pros lasted 11 hours and 24 minutes.
Apple is increasing the battery life of their iPhone. They are optimizing the 5G connectivity to preserve their battery life.
Carriers with 5G networks
The major carriers in the united states are working on the 5G technology and the 5G has started to roll out. On the other hand, many other networks around the world are also using the 5G networks. It is a promising technology that has helped to maximize the capacity and it has sped up 10 to 20 times faster than LTE.
Verizon has launched the 5G network in many areas such as Atlanta, Boise, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York, Omaha, Panama City, Phoenix, Providence, St. Paul, and Washington, DC. Additionally, they are planning to expand their network in other cities as well.
Plans for APPLE 5G
Apple has created its modem chip designed in-house. Similar to the apple silicon and A-series chip that will allow the company to reduce their resilience on the modem chip vendors.
The analyst of apple ming chi Kuo recently said that Apple could transition to its modem as early as 2023. Once apple comes out with its design, there will be no need for Qualcomm.
