In 2019, smartphones with 5G capabilities are becoming a commonality with several smartphone brands already launching their products with this feature. Apple, on the other hand, has never been one of the fastest to embrace the latest mobile standard and the case with its adoption of 4G cement this point. Now, the latest leak has indicated that Apple will wait until 2020 to launch its first 5G handset and only in 2021 will all its models come with this feature. This is a monumental delay considering by 2020, most smartphone manufacturers will be offering different models of their handsets with this feature; thereby leaving Apple in the dust.
The market condition isn’t what it used to be back when Apple launched its first 4G handset. At that time Apple was the trendsetter; but in 2019 several brands such as Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus and Xiaomi are all worthy contenders to exploit an open 5G market as they see fit.
The details about Apple’s 2020 plans have been divulged my Ming-Chi Kuo and as per a report by MacRumors, “We expect that the new 2H20 iPhone lines will include the high-end 6.7-inch and 5.4-inch OLED iPhone models and the low-end 6.1-inch OLED iPhone. The 6.7-inch and 5.4-inch OLED iPhone models will likely support 5G. We expect that the PA usage of each 5G iPhone will be 200% more than the current number for iPhone models. Sole suppliers, including Broadcom (designer) and Win-semi (manufacturer), are the significant winners in this case.”
5G tech has already started rolling out across the world and smartphone manufacturers are taking advantage of consumers who want to be early adopters of this super-fast standard. A related report by Forbes states, “Cloud-based services are expected to take advantage of data speeds that are faster in some cases than cabled connections at home. Even with a 5G iPhone launching in 2020, it is expected that this will only cover one model, with a full 5G rollout of iOS devices targeted for 2021… almost thirty months away.”
Apart from 5G, Apple has been also late to adopt OLED displays as they have been hesitant to move away from LCD technology. The iPhone X was the first Apple handset to embrace this OLED technology and it was launched in its previous product cycle. This change was welcome by Apple loyalists; however, with Android smartphones, you can get OLED smartphones across varied price points and not merely limited to flagships. This makes the case all the more stronger for consumers to switch to the latest technology without enduring a long waiting process.
