The Apple iPhone 11 does not have the 5G, because it is not ready for the iPhone

As one could expect, the Apple iPhone 2019 range does not include 5G technology, thus leaving the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 without the next generation jump in terms of mobile data transmission speed we've seen on recent smartphones from Samsung, LG and OnePlus.

But it is wise to wait another year before integrating the 5G to the iPhone, and it has nothing to do with security. 5G networks still feel that they are still at a preliminary stage and it is only now that operators are starting to build momentum by offering 5G to more cities in the United States. But there are other obstacles and difficulties that have led Apple to wait another year – hopefully, one last one – before integrating 5G into the iPhone.

Good luck to find 5G

At present, the nascent 5G networks of major US carriers are not able to provide a consistent and satisfying experience to consumers. Coverage is extremely uneven for Verizon, AT & T and T-Mobile. These companies use millimeter-wave technology, which offers extremely fast download speeds, but poses significant challenges in removing the 5G signal in cities. Millimeter waves can not match the LTE tower range, forcing operators to create 5G "nodes" in all the cities in which they offer their services. "It can never really go beyond the small pockets of 5G hotspots in dense urban environments," said Neville Ray, CTO of T-Mobile, about the 5G millimeter wave.

I have twice tested Verizon's 5G in Chicago and the millimeter-wave network of T-Mobile in New York. With both operators, the 5G m has blown away with a hard-to-believe speed, but the coverage often exists block by block and is extremely sensitive to everything that happens between you and the millimeter-wave nodes that make these downloads snapshots possible. . And the indoor blanket is non-existent. The story of AT & T is probably the same, but I have not tested its 5G network yet, because it is not open until now to companies and 5G software manufacturers; Regular customers can not even get it. And in the majority of cases, downloads still rely on LTE data speeds, so that half of the equation is disappointing.

Sprint is better positioned because its 5G network uses a medium frequency band and already offers full LTE-like coverage in the neighborhoods where it has been launched. But this approach also means that it is noticeably slower. In addition, it remains limited to a handful of cities and Apple will not build a 5G phone for the latest US operator, although this device could also improve its position in China.

All American carriers are swearing high and low that they had aggressive 5G construction plans with long lists of cities that should be added over the next few months. I have no doubt that the availability of 5G will increase significantly as 2020 approaches, but I am less confident that I will be able to walk around Manhattan or San Francisco in a year with homogeneous coverage everywhere. Even in this case, the 5G will be in a much better place than today, so wait for all its meaning.

Apple has never been the first to these things

The original iPhone was launched on 2G / Edge while many other phones were 3G compatible at the time. Apple was not in a hurry to make the jump in 4G and LTE, and he waited for the iPhone 5 before doing so. On the basis of precedents, no one expected the company to be quick in the draw with the 5G.

And some of the concerns that prompted Apple's patience with LTE technology are the first 5G devices: the first LTE phones had a poor battery life and were burning. Fortunately, the battery life was not devastated in the same way by the Qualcomm X50 5G modem, but the heat proved to be a problem in hot weather. Those of us who tested the Galaxy S10 5G from T-Mobile in New York on a hot summer day found that he had frequently returned to 4G due to overheating. Squeezing an iced coffee against your phone so that it works optimally again is no one's dream of 5G.

And the Qualcomm chip is the only option at the moment, which poses another problem.

Technology is not there

At present, a 5G phone does not support all 5G bands and technologies that carriers and device manufacturers are looking for. Qualcomm is still using its first-generation 5G modem and companies like Samsung are making progress on their side.

However, a multirung strategy that takes into account low, medium and high frequency bands is essential to give 5G connectivity an overall impression, and none of the devices currently on the market will be able to realize this vision. when the operators who exploit them are ready. . Next September, Qualcomm will almost certainly introduce a more powerful and scalable 5G modem, which will better exploit the full potential we hear about. If Apple wanted to enter now, it would offer different variants of an iPhone 5G for each operator, and these days are supposed to be behind us.

Customer satisfaction is paramount

Without fail, Apple is still deceiving customer satisfaction data for its latest iPhone while preparing a new one. The CEO, Tim Cook, regularly claims that the joy that people get from their Apple brand metal and glass plate is unprecedented in the industry. The 5G in its current state would reverse the situation. An iPhone 5G with unpredictable, 5G touch-sensitive coverage over the next year would be a frustrating experience for shoppers and drive down the number of beloved Apple customers. People would be just as likely to associate some of the negativity of 5G growth pains with the device to their wearer.

The 5G versions of the Galaxy Note 10 and S10 were never going to be sold at a high volume. So you do not hear a lot of complaints. These devices, which are several hundred dollars more expensive than their traditional LTE counterparts, exist for companies to say "first!" And for people who demand 5G at the moment – nowhere they can get it – can satisfy their wishes for a premium. But they are never advertised as the main unit or as a main course. You may remember the OnePlus 7 Pro in a few years, but you probably will not remember the OnePlus 7 Pro 5G.

When Apple decides to switch to 5G, it will use a flagship device that will be marketed tirelessly. In simple terms, there is more to lose if the experience is nil.

The iPhone 11 Pro has LTE faster than any previous iPhone

What can 5G bring you that LTE can not? Yes, downloading movies or whole seasons of Netflix in seconds is an impressive technical demonstration. And the low latency of the 5G will dramatically improve the video game streaming experience – as networks begin to offer this low latency. For now, they still are not.

At the same time, Apple claims to have improved LTE speeds on the iPhone 11 Pro to reach new heights that should be comparable to those of Samsung's leading phones. The very competent Sascha Segan at PCMag The 11 Pro, with its MIMO 4×4 and "LTE Gigabit class faster than the iPhone XS" (according to Apple), is expected to be 20% faster than the XS and XS Max. Apple has also added support for LTE tapes that Verizon will support in congested metropolitan areas to optimize data flow. Apple will still use Intel chips to achieve all of this, that said, he concluded that peace with Qualcomm had arrived too late to be able to make any changes to the 2019 iPhone update cycle.

Your next iPhone update after this one will be an iPhone 5G

All indications are that reliable reporters believe that Apple will break the 5G mark in 2020 with new iPhones that, in addition to providing much faster data rates, will have a more substantial design change than the iPhone 11 and 11 Pro of this year. And maybe we'll have the reverse wireless charge that has been spread but has not really made the difference. This year, Apple has focused its efforts on cameras, but next year, it could very well be a new era of possibilities with the applications that we have in our pockets every day.