According to TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is planning to increase the availability of 5G mmWave capable iPhone models to more countries around the world with the release of the “iPhone 13” family later this year, offering many more customers access to the faster cellular technology.
In a research note obtained by MacRumors, Kuo says that infrastructure for mmWave technology will increase substantially this year in places like Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European countries. Apple currently sells the mmWave iPhone 12 in the United States, which allocates to only 30-35% of overall iPhone 12 shipments.
While 5G smartphone shipments increased significantly in 2020, most of them only supported Sub-6 GHz. We believe that mmWave will create more diverse applications than Sub-6 GHz because of the benefits of faster speed and lower latency. The mmWave model of the iPhone 12 only supports the US market, and the shipment allocation of the total iPhone 12 is about 30–35%. We predict that the iPhone 13 mmWave models will be available in more countries (e.g., Canada, Japan, Australia, and major European mobile operators), so the shipment allocation of iPhone 13 mmWave models will increase substantially to 55–60%. — [Ming-Chi Kuo]
According to the analyst, this year, mmWave capable iPhone 13 models will allocate to 55-60% of shipments, a significant year-over-year increase.
MacDailyNews Take: Of course,5G mmWave will still be confined to dense urban areas, stadiums, convention halls, airports, etc.