Apple’s 2019 iPhones Might Come With Faster Wi-Fi And 5G Support, Reports Suggest
Amid reports that Apple’s most recent smartphone releases — the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR — are not selling as well as expected, rumors surrounding the company’s 2019 iPhones are continuing to swirl. The latest such rumors suggest that the “iPhone 11” series, as it is often unofficially referred to, might come with new technology that would allow for faster Wi-Fi connectivity. Separately, reports also point to Apple shopping around for potential 5G modem suppliers in hopes of including the feature on this year’s upcoming devices.
Citing a note from Barclays analyst Blaine Curtis, TechRadar wrote on Saturday that the 2019 iPhone is expected to come with support for Wi-Fi 6, or 802.11ax Wi-Fi. While most smartphones support the Wi-Fi 5 standard, the Wi-Fi 6 standard is said to be the “fastest” in existence, which could result in wireless speeds that could potentially be (at least) twice as fast as they were on Wi-Fi 5.
However, TechRadar noted that there are some catches — users will need to have a Wi-Fi 6 router set up, and would also need to be in a location that has the broadband connection to support the new standard. The publication added that Wi-Fi 6 offers more than just enhanced speeds, as it could also make connections more stable and support more devices at the same time, thus making it very useful in today’s era of smart home appliances.
Regarding the possibility of 5G connectivity coming to the 2019 iPhones, TechRadar noted that it was previously rumored that the new standard might not be available for the iPhone until 2020. The publication also cited a new report from Reuters, which suggested Apple is considering 5G chips from suppliers such as MediaTek and Samsung, in the light of the Federal Trade Commission’s antitrust suit against Apple’s usual chip supplier, Qualcomm.
While the Reuters report stressed that Apple is weighing these options in hopes of including 5G support on the 2019 iPhone, it wasn’t made clear as to whether the company has made a decision on which supplier to work with. As such, TechRadar predicted that iPhone buyers might have to wait until 2020 before the 5G upgrade arrives on the device.
The aforementioned rumors of the 2019 iPhone coming with faster Wi-Fi and/or 5G support are just the latest to pop up ahead of the device’s expected arrival later on in the year. As recalled by 9to5Mac, images of renders for the new iPhone circulated earlier in January, pointing to the possibility of a triple-camera module housed inside a square unit on the back of the phone. While it’s unclear how such a rear camera setup could improve photo quality, it was speculated that the third lens could serve as a depth sensor, as opposed to being a “standard” RGB lens.
