In 2020, Apple is anticipated to release its first 5G-enabled iPhone powered by chipsets from Qualcomm and Samsung, according to a report from reliable supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities. Following Intel’s announcement earlier this month about exiting the 5G modem chip market for iPhones, Apple had to turn to Qualcomm to ensure the supply of a 5G modem chip.
The tech-giant is also looking for a second supplier and, in all probability, this will be Samsung. “We expect Apple will likely adopt 5G baseband chips made by Qualcomm (focus on mmWave markets) and Samsung (focus on Sub-6GHz markets) for lowering supply risk, reducing costs and having better bargaining power,” said the analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo believes that the introduction of a 5G-enabled iPhone could create a wave of upgrades and purchases, especially for the high-end models. “We are positive on the high-end iPhone models’ replacement demand in the second half of 2020 thanks to the 5G iPhone. We expect the total iPhone shipment will respectively reach 188-192 million and 195-200 million units in 2019 and 2020,” Kuo said.
In addition to these forecasts and expectations, the iPhone manufacturer is also actively engaged in improving the cameras for its 2019 phone line-up. The front camera will be upgraded from 7 MP to 12 MP, and the triple-camera setup will be implemented in the upcoming 6.5-inch and 5.8-inch OLED iPhones, along with a new super-wide 12 MP lens.
Usually Apple releases new iPhone models in September, therefore the 5G iPhone will probably not be launched until at least September 2020. The iPhones scheduled to be released in September of this year will most likely support the current-generation LTE networks.
