Kuo: iPhone 13 5G mmWave Models to BE ACCESSIBLE in More Countries

Apple is likely to increase the availability of 5G mmWave capable iPhone models to more countries all over the world with the release of the iPhone 13 later this season, offering a lot more customers usage of the faster and newer technology, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a study note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that infrastructure for mmWave technology increase substantially this year in places like Canada, Japan, Australia, and major Europe. Apple currently sells the mmWave iPhone 12 in the usa, which allocates to only 30-35% of overall ‌iPhone 12‌ shipments.

While 5G smartphone shipments increased drastically in 2020, the majority of them only supported Sub-6 GHz. We believe that mmWave will generate more different applications than Sub-6 GHz due to the advantages of faster speed and lower latency. The mmWave model of the ‌iPhone 12‌ only supports the US market, and the shipment allocation of the full total ‌iPhone 12‌ is approximately 30-35%. We predict that the ‌iPhone 13‌ mmWave models will be accessible in more countries (e.g., Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European mobile operators), therefore the shipment allocation of ‌iPhone 13‌ mmWave models will increase substantially to 55-60%.

According to the analyst, this season, mmWave capable ‌iPhone 13‌ models will allocate to 55-60% of shipments, a substantial year-over-year increase. In conditions of design, compared to the standard 6GHz handsets, mmWave ‌iPhone 12‌ models include a visible antenna on the proper side of the device. Kuo expects the same antenna design to keep with the 2021 ‌iPhone‌ lineup.

A DigiTimes report earlier this month echoed similar information as Kuo, stating that Apple is likely to boost shipments of the mmWave ‌iPhone‌ this year. mmWave compared to the standard and more mainstream sub-6GHz technology offers faster speeds, but requires more complex infrastructure and works in limited range.