Apple might change the 5G capabilities for the iPhone 13 in 2021
However, Digitimes claims that all four 2020 models will support both sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G spectrum which makes sense since U.S. carriers are not unanimously using the same 5G spectrum. Verizon, for example, is building its 5G network around mmWave spectrum which means that it doesn’t have a large 5G service area. T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network uses 600MHz spectrum so it is available in most of the country; the point is, if Apple wants the nation’s largest wireless provider to sell a ton of iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Max models, it will need to to have those devices work on both types of 5G networks.
But here is where the story gets strange. The report claims that next year’s iPhone 13 family could take a step backward as some of the models will come with support for only sub-6GHz 5G or mmWave 5G but not both. Or as Digitimes says, “Apple’s 2020 series of iPhones will work on both sub-6GHz and millimeter wave 5G networks, and the vendor is considering introducing its iPhones supporting either mmWave or sub-6GHz for specific markets next year, according to industry sources in Taiwan.” The models with limited 5G support would be sold in those markets where one of the two 5G spectrum options is used more than the other. Some markets won’t have support for mmWave 5G and iPhone 13 units sold in those areas would include only sub-6GHz support which could drop the price a bit. Apple could disable 5G completely in countries where the next generation of wireless connectivity is not available. This could be accomplished by disabling part of the hardware on models supporting just one of the two 5G spectrum options, or by using different hardware altogether on these models.
