Apple’s iPhone 12 5G Launch Reportedly Set in Motion for 2020 as Suppliers Are Prepping Production Plans

Omar Sohail
iPhone 12 5G Launch Plans Set in Motion for 2020; Apple Reportedly in Talks With Suppliers

Unlike most of its competitors, Apple has yet to launch a 5G-ready smartphone. However, most rumors indicate that’s about to change next year. The Cupertino giant is currently in talks with its suppliers to prepare for the iPhone 12 5G launch as it’s possible the company wants to avoid any complications in the coming months.

iPhone 12 5G Launch for Next Year Should Help Propel Apple’s Handset Shipments

Apparently, all three flagship models that will be released next year will offer 5G support. The company has reportedly also set an ambitious sales target for its 5G-ready devices and aims to ship 80 million of them. For now, Apple is supposedly discussing production plans for the new models with suppliers. This will help the company apply supply-side constraints and ensure a smooth iPhone 12 5G launch in 2020. One other report we’ve talked about is the presence of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G modems presumably running in all three models for next year. The Snapdragon X55 is more power-efficient than the Snapdragon X50, so it’s quite obvious Apple would choose Qualcomm’s latest offering.

Related Story iPhone 12 Remains Banned In Some Regions Of France, Despite Apple Pushing Out An Update That Lowers Radiation Levels

Apple isn’t the quickest to embrace newer technologies and the same is the case with the next generation of wireless networks, although an exception can be made for the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max since all three models feature a Wi-Fi 6 chip. Although most key players have already released phones touting the latest connectivity standard, the newest models from Apple only support LTE, and the iPhone 12 5G launch isn’t expected before September next year. Even though Apple has been trying to diversify its revenue stream, smartphones still make up more half of its revenue. Thus, it still remains an important category.

The report also believes that the iPhone 12 5G launch will provide incentives to carriers outside of China to increase their investment and speed up the deployment of 5G networks. According to additional reports, the 5G infrastructure is very costly to set up and Apple’s supposed decision to crank out three 5G-enabled iPhones will encourage carriers like AT&T and Verizon to increase spending. Unlike China and to some extent, South Korea, most countries have been slow with the rollout of 5G networks. This could be one of the reasons some companies have cited for not bringing out a 5G-phone yet.

The iPhone 12 5G launch might also lead to a price increase due to expensive materials being used and this can influence demand. After all, one of the reasons why iPhone 11 is reportedly doing so well is its relatively affordable pricing. Fortunately, it looks like Apple has got that part covered too, as it’s also reportedly planning to release the iPhone SE 2 for price-conscious consumers next year.

Are you more excited about the upcoming deluxe 5G-ready iPhones or the lower-cost iPhone SE 2? Let us know by commenting below.

Image Credits: Ben Geskin

News Source: Nikkei

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