Will the upcoming iPhone 8 ship with the newest 5G wireless internet technology being set up by Apple? Fans sure hope so.
Time are changing and as the demand for internet and mobile data increases, the need for better and faster wireless internet speed also arises. Various companies and providers are already dabbling into 5G, Light Reading reports, but stability and connectivity are still huge problems, as these require new connections. Major players in the U.S. already include AT&T and Verizon, which means we might be seeing 5G plans rolling in the next years to complement the new line up of Apple iPhones.
With good internet connectivity should come a physical device to handle that kind of speed. And patrons are wondering if the iPhone 8 will be ready for this kind of technology.
Business Insider reports that Apple is making headway in the experimentation. Last week, Apple signed an application for an experimental license to use new wireless technology, called millimeter wave. It was made public by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
The application read, as follows.
“Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum.
“These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers’ future 5G networks.”
In fact, as early as 2016, Apple had already been rumored to be working its way into 5G, when Apple put up a vacancy position for a wireless engineer who could design radio hardware prototypes and simulations “using existing or emerging wireless technologies,” and familiar with “RF propagation, antenna theory, beam-forming theory, radar signal processing.”
Light Reading suggests that radar signal processing is the cue here that indicates 5G work.
As of the application filed by Apple, they are testing 28 and 39 GHz bands (approved previously by FCC for commercial use of 5G) in Milpitas, California, on Yosemite Drive, and one on Mariani Avenue, where the original Apple headquarters was first located.
Apple expects its experimentation of how their iPhones can efficiently deliver 5G to “not exceed 12 months.” This has sparked rumors as to whether the iPhone 8 will ship with 5G compatibility — or will fans be left waiting for the iPhone 9? Since the anniversary iPhone 8 has been leaked to release this September, that might not give Apple ample time to work its 5G magic into the anniversary iPhone.
Either way, this is still quite a headway into the technology since Apple Insider posits that U.S. carriers are unlikely to have any substantial 5G coverage until 2020, since trials and experimentations have just begun. That means even if Apple is able to ship the iPhone 8 5G ready, users still won’t be able to take advantage of its technology until carriers finally launch their 5G connections.
These rumored 5G connections will be able to transcend 4G and LTE capabilities, potentially delivering upwards of 1 gigabit per second. Imagine downloading a movie in seconds. This could make possible online virtual reality and remote surgery, and could effectively forward self-driving smart cars like Apple’s self-driving car project.
Apart from Apple’s iPhone, other phone makers are rumored to be working on 5G, as well, including Samsung’s Galaxy S series, and even Motorola, who is targeting a 2017 release. Especially overseas, in South Korea particularly, Korean telecom company KT has already partnered with Samsung to provide a semblance of 5G wireless internet speed in time for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
The upcoming features and design elements of the Apple iPhone 8 have already been leaked abundantly over the internet, and Inquisitr previously reported that the latest iPhone 8 256 GB variant could fetch a price as high as $1,070 on release date.
Will you be upgrading to the iPhone 8 when it releases to the market?
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