A 5G iPhone might arrive in 2020 (Update)

Update: A new report solidifies early rumors of Apple holding off for a 5G iPhone till 2020. The company’s rivals including Samsung and Huawei already have plans to release a 5G-ready phone the next year.

Apple’s iPhones in 2020 might have 5G capabilities, as per a report from FastCompany. According to a source, the company will choose Intel as an exclusive modem supplier.

Intel is currently working a chip called 8060, which will be used to test 5G on the iPhone. However, the chipmaker is planning to manufacture a 10nm 5G-enabled modem, named 8161, to achieve better speed and efficiency.

We expect that the 2020 iPhone will use these 8161 modem chips. Intel will benefit a lot if it ends up as the sole supplier of 5G modems to Apple.

The report also notes that Apple’s ‘Plan-B’ is to go to MediaTek for 5G-enabled modems. Although, MediaTek, by-and-large, produces modems for low and mid-range phones.

A month ago, Qualcomm announced its plans to release a 5G modem named X50. The company’s president Cristiano Amon said that users should expect at least two 5G flagships in the next year . The announcement also included names of partners like LG, OnePlus , Xiaomi, Vivo, and Sony.

Apple might not turn to Qualcomm as the X50 reportedly created heat dissipation for other phone makers, who are supporting the millimeter-wave spectrum. This is a bit of an issue, as the millimeter-wave spectrum (between 28 GHz and 39 GHz) is the bandwidth US network providers will rely on to for 5G connection.

In 2019, many smartphone makers will release 5G-enabled phones. However, only users in select regions of the world will be able to experience 5G connectivity.

Apple users will likely get their hands on the 5G-enabled iPhone by the end of 2020. By this time, 5G will most likely be out of its initial experimental stage and networks will offer decent coverage.