5G is finally going to get its close-up with the expected debut of Apple’s next iPhone this week, but the promised blazing speeds won’t happen for most people.
The device, dubbed the iPhone 12 by analysts, can fall back on 5G or fifth generation wireless technology, which theoretically works 10 to 20 times faster than current 4G wireless networks.
However, using the next iPhone or 5G enabled device on today’s network is “like a Ferrari … but if you use it in your village you can’t go up to 200 mph simply because the roads can’t keep up those speeds “, Explained Boris Metodiev, deputy director of the research company Strategy Analytics.
Apple, which is expected to showcase the new phone at a virtual event this week, has to walk a tightrope between enticing consumers to upgrade their phones without being too promising of what 5G can do today.
Current 5G US networks mostly use a low-band radio spectrum, which is slower than the high-band spectrum, but is more reliable over greater distances.
It will likely be years before the promise of a massive increase in the speed of phone providers makes augmented reality and real-time cloud gaming seamless.
Several US telecommunications operators have deployed networks with lower frequency bands and speeds slightly higher than 4G.
A noticeably faster variant of “mid-band” 5G is also being rolled out, but it’s unlikely to reach three-quarters of Americans by 2025, estimates long-time Apple analyst Gene Munster of venture capital firm Loup Ventures.
The fastest speeds touted by carriers are 5G millimeter waves (mmWave) that operate over shorter distances.
Verizon Communications has the largest mmWave network available today and is only available in limited areas.
Although Verizon 5G users could connect almost ten times faster than Sprint and T-Mobile, actual average speeds were far lower, according to research firm OpenSignal’s report on mobile signals in June.
On average, AT&T Inc and Verizon customers with 5G phones saw only a small increase over 4G speeds, according to the same study.
Faster 5G networks are widespread in South Korea and China.
However, Apple will compete against local brands including Samsung in South Korea, which is already offering its second line of 5G phones, and Huawei Technologies in China, which has seen its sales soar following the US telecommunications giant’s ban.
The other big disappointment is that applications that use higher speeds to deliver something new have yet to be built.
It’s a chicken and egg problem this part of the tech cycle, executives said, noting that interest in 4G was piqued through Alphabet’s mobile apps on Facebook and YouTube.
“The applications that we will love and really use the network will not be developed until the network and equipment are available,” said Morgan Kurk, chief technology officer of CommScope, a telecommunications equipment maker.
US consumers who are most motivated to buy a 5G phone are those who just need a new smartphone and want to protect their investments.
“When you buy a phone that you will have for three years, make sure it supports the latest networks,” said Geoff Blaber, vice president of research at CCS Insight.
Just know what to expect, added Blaber. “There will be relatively little you can do on a 5G iPhone that you can’t do on a 4G iPhone today.”
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