Apple finally took the wraps off its first 5G iPhones, unveiling a quartet of next generation-enabled handsets during an event which also featured a special network announcement from Verizon.
CEO Tim Cook hailed the addition of 5G to its handsets as “the beginning of a new era for iPhone,” stating it will enable “entirely new opportunities for our developers and our users”.
[1]The iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max all feature a new A14 Bionic chipset Apple billed as the fastest CPU and GPU available in a smartphone.
Arun Mathias, Apple’s VP of wireless technologies and ecosystems, said the phones also use a custom antenna and radio system which makes them compatible with more 5G bands than any other smartphone, allowing them “to work on 5G in more places”.
Addressing potential battery-life concerns, Mathias added Apple optimised its iOS frameworks to allow applications to tap into 5G without using more power, and designed a Smart Data Mode feature which pushes the devices onto 4G when 5G speeds aren’t needed.
All four devices also feature a new ceramic display offering improved durability and compatibility with magnetic accessories using Apple’s MagSafe technology.
The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini come with a dual camera system with 12MP wide and ultra-wide lenses. The 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max boast a triple camera setup with 12MP wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lenses.
IPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will be available in 36 countries from 23 October, with pricing starting at $799 for a 64GB iPhone 12 and $999 for a 128GB iPhone Pro.
IPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max will go on sale 13 November, with pricing starting at $699 for a 64GB iPhone 12 mini and $1099 for a 128GB iPhone 12 Pro Max.
Verizon
In a surprise move, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg took to the stage during Apple’s event to announce nationwide availability of a low-band 5G service covering 200 million people across 1,800 cities and towns, declaring “5G just got real.”
The operator in a press release also highlighted continued expansion of an existing limited-range mmWave 5G service, with deployments in 19 new cities raising its total covered to 55. Vestberg reiterated plans to reach 60 cities [2] by end-2020.
Analysis
Jason Reed, lead analyst for digital consumer at GSMA Intelligence, told Mobile World Live the iPhone launch should help drive 5G adoption in the US, noting “Apple has the largest and most loyal customer base of any smartphone brand” in the country.
But he added Apple failed to show consumers “what they will be able to do with 5G that they can’t already do on their existing network,” meaning that, for many, 5G capabilities “will be at best an incidental perk alongside accessing all the new camera features of the iPhone 12”.
[1] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Apple-iPhone-12.jpg
[2] https://www.mobileworldlive.com/featured-content/top-three/verizon-readies-national-5g-move
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