Reports have been doing the rounds for quite a while that Apple will only release its first 5G phone in 2020 – and a new report confirms that.
According to Bloomberg, Apple has decided not to launch an iPhone with 5G capabilities until 2020. Quoting more than one source, the report said that apart from being a strategic move to wait until the technology is more mature, the decision might also be because of the firm’s cooperation with Intel. Owing to huge demand, the latter might be unable to supply Apple with 5G modems before then.
The partnership with Intel for 5G devices makes a lot of sense, particularly taking into account Apple’s continuing court battles with Qualcomm and its tumultuous relationships with Huawei and Samsung, both of which happen to already have 5G processors on tap.
Apple has often refrained from being an early adopter in the field of network technology. With 3G, and later 4G, the firm waited a year before making the switch. While so far it hasn’t cost Apple any customers, this time it might not work as planned.
A variety of competitors, including Huawei, Samsung and Oneplus, have already confirmed plans to bring out 5G smartphones in 2019. Although this hasn’t been a major issue before, service providers are currently pushing hard for an early switch to 5G technology since that would not only reduce wireless carriers’ costs but also deliver much faster data speeds.
A partnership for the production of a 5G phone in Q1 2019 between Verizon and Samsung has already been announced, and T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint are also busy getting their 5G networks in place. Therefore, postponing the launch of its first 5G phone at a time when its share price has dropped sharply after signs of market saturation might not be the best decision in Apple’s history.