There may be a wide variety of options on the market these days when it comes to smartphones, but none of them are quite as influential or iconic as the iPhone. Sure, the ’90s had some pioneers and the early ’00s seemed to have belonged to the Blackberry, for the modern consumer, Apple blazed the trail that has brought forth so many amazing devices we enjoy today.
With around 45% of the smartphones within the U.S. belonging to the Apple family, it should come as no surprise that a device with such an influence on the market lacking 5G connection could be holding back wireless speeds according to the data by OpenSignal. “The first 5G iPhones will reignite the race to 5G because iPhone shipments consistently represent almost half of total smartphone shipments in the U.S.,” wrote Ian Fogg in a blog post for OpenSignal, “Lack of 5G iPhone models has held back U.S. 5G adoption.”
Apple has struggled to launch its first 5G capable iPhone so far this year. In a year rattled by the COVID-19 pandemic, it should come as no surprise that the wireless industry was affected greatly. Everything from the inability to test functions to supply chain issues are still hindering the progress of 5G. For the iPhone, the supply chain issues are at the forefront of its delays. Nations throughout the world shut down factories and have placed limits on the number of workers within confined spaces. Combining these two measures continues to slow production.
The annual Apple Event in September showed consumers plenty of smart devices to be excited about, but a notably absent was the iPhone 12. The rumors have the next generation of iPhone supporting multiple bands of 5G spectrum but delays keep plaguing its release. There is some hope that the delays could be coming to an end as the device is currently in production as of mid-September, but a lack of show could be an indication that things are still moving slower than Apple may like.
Things will need to change soon. Though competitors such as Samsung may see opportunity in Apple’s absence, many competing smartphone companies collaborate and manufacture parts for the others. The delays in the iPhone seen this year are affecting multiple companies, not just Apple. The increase in demand and download speeds can and will also bolster the demand for smartphones across the board, but the biggest winners are sure to be the consumer. “If Apple’s 5G launch follows the trend of existing 5G smartphone handset brands, with a speed increase of 5G of 1.6 – 1.9 times faster than 4G, then 2020’s 5G iPhone owners will see a bigger generational leap in mobile network experience than the iPhone has had for at least eight years when 2012’s iPhone 5 marked the jump from 3G to 4G,” wrote Fogg.
Source: RCR Wireless