5G phones will have new SoCs. Current modems on Android SoCs are already faster than Apple's newest and process data just fine.
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
In the US we never saw the full potential of 3G because of the obsession with 4G. We’ve not seen the potential of LTE yet and we’re racing to 5G. Chances are we won’t ever see the potential of 5G because of our future obsession with 6G. I think we need to learn to do each G right before moving forward...
We probably never saw the full potential of the steam engine, damn those scientific leaps eh?;) That said I believe Apple will time its introduction correctly.
In the US we never saw the full potential of 3G because of the obsession with 4G. We’ve not seen the potential of LTE yet and we’re racing to 5G. Chances are we won’t ever see the potential of 5G because of our future obsession with 6G. I think we need to learn to do each G right before moving forward...
We probably never saw the full potential of the steam engine, damn those scientific leaps eh?;) That said I believe Apple will time its introduction correctly.
Nuclear power is used to generate heat for massive steam engines, right?
5G phones will have new SoCs. Current modems on Android SoCs are already faster than Apple's newest and process data just fine.
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
The non standalone version of 5G has been finalised. It will prop itself up on a lot of existing LTE infrastructure so its not like it will go to waste.
Very few transmission technologies reach their theoretical highs but QC and Huawei can still top what Apple is using in real world use.
QC will release its 5G modem on a new SoC. Huawei will do the same. That tandem will progress year after year. They will not be behind. They are part of the group of major players who have developed 5G!
If the suspected Apple roadmap plays out, you will be waiting for 5G until very late 2020 (basically 2021) before there is any traction.
That is a fair while and only time will tell how rollouts finally go but we are going to see a lot of activity between now and then.
Why pay for 5G tech if you can not use where you live and work. As of today, living in suburban and customer of one of big cell telco, still don't get good consistent LTE coverage and speed. I will wait till 2021 to move to 5G capable phone and only if good 5G coverage in my area.
Why pay for 5G tech if you can not use where you live and work. As of today, living in suburban and customer of one of big cell telco, still don't get good consistent LTE coverage and speed. I will wait till 2021 to move to 5G capable phone and only if good 5G coverage in my area.
This is where politics come into play. Spain has legislation on these kinds of issues to avoid the so called 'digital divide' so wholesale service providers are required to guarantee access to set targets of coverage in a given time frame.
It's not perfect and there is room for improvement but it's definitely better than being left out in the cold simply because it costs too much to provide you with access.
5G phones will have new SoCs. Current modems on Android SoCs are already faster than Apple's newest and process data just fine.
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
The non standalone version of 5G has been finalised. It will prop itself up on a lot of existing LTE infrastructure so its not like it will go to waste.
Very few transmission technologies reach their theoretical highs but QC and Huawei can still top what Apple is using in real world use.
QC will release its 5G modem on a new SoC. Huawei will do the same. That tandem will progress year after year. They will not be behind. They are part of the group of major players who have developed 5G!
If the suspected Apple roadmap plays out, you will be waiting for 5G until very late 2020 (basically 2021) before there is any traction.
That is a fair while and only time will tell how rollouts finally go but we are going to see a lot of activity between now and then.
It's irrelevant if each new SoC gets a better 5G modem. The people who buy NOW will have an inferior modem. To use it as some sort of bragging right about being first is pointless, since they too will be outclassed by newer modems. So that new S10 (or Huawei Mate Wannabee 30) will not only have extremely limited usability due to lack of 5G coverage, they'll be stuck using an inferior modem when 5G finally becomes widespread.
When Apple ships a device with a 5G modem it will outclass all previous devices with 5G and will be at the same level as everyone else (since 5G is a standard, there's nothing Huawei, Qualcomm or all the other IP holders can do to prevent that - they have to license the tech to everyone equally). Apple may even buy from Qualcomm again (after they get their ass handed to them in court). Either way, Apple will come to the party when the tech is mature and with a solution that matches everyone else. Except the rest of Apple's SoC will, for the umpteenth time, completely outclass everyone elses SoC, making Apples overall solution superior. Again.
You're right about the fact I'll be waiting - for the industry to have widespread adoption of 5G (which will be after Apple ships a device with 5G). The more interesting aspect is that when Apple launches a 5G iPhone it will literally only take a year (or less) to have more 5G iPhones in the world than ALL the other flagship vendors COMBINED.
It's hilarious to think carriers are going to rely on Android 5G phones to push the industry forward when only a small percentage of them will have 5G, and it won't really take off until Apple releases a 5G equipped iPhone. Just like Bluetooth Low Energy didn't gain traction until Apple shipped an iPhone with it. You need customers to use your technology. And there's not enough Android customers in the world to make 5G take off. That'll only happen when Apple comes on board.
Population density is likely the reason why the US (and even more so, Canada) can’t fully roll out one technology before starting on a new one. Compared to Spain mentioned above, we can drive for hours and hours between human settlements. Our ratio of cellular towers to subscribers is wayyy lower.
5G phones will have new SoCs. Current modems on Android SoCs are already faster than Apple's newest and process data just fine.
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
The non standalone version of 5G has been finalised. It will prop itself up on a lot of existing LTE infrastructure so its not like it will go to waste.
Very few transmission technologies reach their theoretical highs but QC and Huawei can still top what Apple is using in real world use.
QC will release its 5G modem on a new SoC. Huawei will do the same. That tandem will progress year after year. They will not be behind. They are part of the group of major players who have developed 5G!
If the suspected Apple roadmap plays out, you will be waiting for 5G until very late 2020 (basically 2021) before there is any traction.
That is a fair while and only time will tell how rollouts finally go but we are going to see a lot of activity between now and then.
It's irrelevant if each new SoC gets a better 5G modem. The people who buy NOW will have an inferior modem. To use it as some sort of bragging right about being first is pointless, since they too will be outclassed by newer modems. So that new S10 (or Huawei Mate Wannabee 30) will not only have extremely limited usability due to lack of 5G coverage, they'll be stuck using an inferior modem when 5G finally becomes widespread.
When Apple ships a device with a 5G modem it will outclass all previous devices with 5G and will be at the same level as everyone else (since 5G is a standard, there's nothing Huawei, Qualcomm or all the other IP holders can do to prevent that - they have to license the tech to everyone equally). Apple may even buy from Qualcomm again (after they get their ass handed to them in court). Either way, Apple will come to the party when the tech is mature and with a solution that matches everyone else. Except the rest of Apple's SoC will, for the umpteenth time, completely outclass everyone elses SoC, making Apples overall solution superior. Again.
You're right about the fact I'll be waiting - for the industry to have widespread adoption of 5G (which will be after Apple ships a device with 5G). The more interesting aspect is that when Apple launches a 5G iPhone it will literally only take a year (or less) to have more 5G iPhones in the world than ALL the other flagship vendors COMBINED.
It's hilarious to think carriers are going to rely on Android 5G phones to push the industry forward when only a small percentage of them will have 5G, and it won't really take off until Apple releases a 5G equipped iPhone. Just like Bluetooth Low Energy didn't gain traction until Apple shipped an iPhone with it. You need customers to use your technology. And there's not enough Android customers in the world to make 5G take off. That'll only happen when Apple comes on board.
Just focusing on the highlighted part - I don't think that is going to happen. Even upper mid-range SoCs by Qualcomm (SD 600/700 series) will get the 5G modem once it is finalized. And Huawei is using their latest SOC in MANY of their mid-range series (Honor View, Nova, Honor #, Honor magic, Honor Play etc), not just flagship series (P and Mate). So there would be many Android phones with 5G capability as soon as standards are finalized and new modem is rolled out by QC.
5G phones will have new SoCs. Current modems on Android SoCs are already faster than Apple's newest and process data just fine.
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
The non standalone version of 5G has been finalised. It will prop itself up on a lot of existing LTE infrastructure so its not like it will go to waste.
Very few transmission technologies reach their theoretical highs but QC and Huawei can still top what Apple is using in real world use.
QC will release its 5G modem on a new SoC. Huawei will do the same. That tandem will progress year after year. They will not be behind. They are part of the group of major players who have developed 5G!
If the suspected Apple roadmap plays out, you will be waiting for 5G until very late 2020 (basically 2021) before there is any traction.
That is a fair while and only time will tell how rollouts finally go but we are going to see a lot of activity between now and then.
It's irrelevant if each new SoC gets a better 5G modem. The people who buy NOW will have an inferior modem. To use it as some sort of bragging right about being first is pointless, since they too will be outclassed by newer modems. So that new S10 (or Huawei Mate Wannabee 30) will not only have extremely limited usability due to lack of 5G coverage, they'll be stuck using an inferior modem when 5G finally becomes widespread.
When Apple ships a device with a 5G modem it will outclass all previous devices with 5G and will be at the same level as everyone else (since 5G is a standard, there's nothing Huawei, Qualcomm or all the other IP holders can do to prevent that - they have to license the tech to everyone equally). Apple may even buy from Qualcomm again (after they get their ass handed to them in court). Either way, Apple will come to the party when the tech is mature and with a solution that matches everyone else. Except the rest of Apple's SoC will, for the umpteenth time, completely outclass everyone elses SoC, making Apples overall solution superior. Again.
You're right about the fact I'll be waiting - for the industry to have widespread adoption of 5G (which will be after Apple ships a device with 5G). The more interesting aspect is that when Apple launches a 5G iPhone it will literally only take a year (or less) to have more 5G iPhones in the world than ALL the other flagship vendors COMBINED.
It's hilarious to think carriers are going to rely on Android 5G phones to push the industry forward when only a small percentage of them will have 5G, and it won't really take off until Apple releases a 5G equipped iPhone. Just like Bluetooth Low Energy didn't gain traction until Apple shipped an iPhone with it. You need customers to use your technology. And there's not enough Android customers in the world to make 5G take off. That'll only happen when Apple comes on board.
Just focusing on the highlighted part - I don't think that is going to happen. Even upper mid-range SoCs by Qualcomm (SD 600/700 series) will get the 5G modem once it is finalized. And Huawei is using their latest SOC in MANY of their mid-range series (Honor View, Nova, Honor #, Honor magic, Honor Play etc), not just flagship series (P and Mate). So there would be many Android phones with 5G capability as soon as standards are finalized and new modem is rolled out by QC.
According to Anandtech.com, Qualcomm just introduced their 5G chipset, and it is a two-chip solution (S855 chip handles 4G, and a second chip X50 handles 5G). I doubt this would go into 2019 mid-range phones (more cost, more real estate, more battery).
So, the rumored 2 year delay in Apple's ability to deliver a 5G capable phone (till nearly 2021) is not a technical one -- but the result of choosing a second rate supplier because they're in a pissing contest with the high end one....
So you want a 5G iPhone even if there’s no place to actually use it?
So, the rumored 2 year delay in Apple's ability to deliver a 5G capable phone (till nearly 2021) is not a technical one -- but the result of choosing a second rate supplier because they're in a pissing contest with the high end one....
You seem to be quite focused on 5G and how it’s going to solve all of your problems and make your phone infinitely better than anything else on the planet. I’m thinking you should probalby buy a Samsung phone.
Nope, not at all. But communication is probably the single biggest requirement of mobile, communications device. If I'm going to pay over a thousand dollars for one I don't want obsolete communications protocols. If waiting gave me a better phone, that would be different. But here its a business decision on Apple's part to go with a non-performing supplier.
5G phones will have new SoCs. Current modems on Android SoCs are already faster than Apple's newest and process data just fine.
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
The non standalone version of 5G has been finalised. It will prop itself up on a lot of existing LTE infrastructure so its not like it will go to waste.
Very few transmission technologies reach their theoretical highs but QC and Huawei can still top what Apple is using in real world use.
QC will release its 5G modem on a new SoC. Huawei will do the same. That tandem will progress year after year. They will not be behind. They are part of the group of major players who have developed 5G!
If the suspected Apple roadmap plays out, you will be waiting for 5G until very late 2020 (basically 2021) before there is any traction.
That is a fair while and only time will tell how rollouts finally go but we are going to see a lot of activity between now and then.
It's irrelevant if each new SoC gets a better 5G modem. The people who buy NOW will have an inferior modem. To use it as some sort of bragging right about being first is pointless, since they too will be outclassed by newer modems. So that new S10 (or Huawei Mate Wannabee 30) will not only have extremely limited usability due to lack of 5G coverage, they'll be stuck using an inferior modem when 5G finally becomes widespread.
When Apple ships a device with a 5G modem it will outclass all previous devices with 5G and will be at the same level as everyone else (since 5G is a standard, there's nothing Huawei, Qualcomm or all the other IP holders can do to prevent that - they have to license the tech to everyone equally). Apple may even buy from Qualcomm again (after they get their ass handed to them in court). Either way, Apple will come to the party when the tech is mature and with a solution that matches everyone else. Except the rest of Apple's SoC will, for the umpteenth time, completely outclass everyone elses SoC, making Apples overall solution superior. Again.
You're right about the fact I'll be waiting - for the industry to have widespread adoption of 5G (which will be after Apple ships a device with 5G). The more interesting aspect is that when Apple launches a 5G iPhone it will literally only take a year (or less) to have more 5G iPhones in the world than ALL the other flagship vendors COMBINED.
It's hilarious to think carriers are going to rely on Android 5G phones to push the industry forward when only a small percentage of them will have 5G, and it won't really take off until Apple releases a 5G equipped iPhone. Just like Bluetooth Low Energy didn't gain traction until Apple shipped an iPhone with it. You need customers to use your technology. And there's not enough Android customers in the world to make 5G take off. That'll only happen when Apple comes on board.
I'm quite surprised you see things that way but each to their own.
Marketing is going to play a key role until 5G gains traction. Carriers don't want to invest in infrastructure and then see users hold off, waiting for it to mature. There is nothing hilarious about it. They want to see a return from the get go so you can bet your last dollar that they will push 5G handsets (in markets that can use the technology) to create the necessary demand for new plans. 5G phones and anyone who makes them (yes, Android phones) will float to the top of carrier handset priorities and that probably means Samsung will see quite a push from carriers in the US. Beyond the US, Huawei will receive the same treatment.
“Beside still being more a recipe than a fully cooked dish, 5G also has one particularly distasteful aspect. Its fastest speeds come from airwaves in the millimeter-wave frequency range, which has been dubbed mmWave. Verizon has 28GHz, and AT&T operates at 39GHz. Anyone who’s ever tried the failed LTE rival that was WiMAX knows the biggest problem with these high-frequency transmissions: they struggle to penetrate through walls or other physical obstructions. The fallback of lower-frequency, sub-6GHz 5G will happen, we’re told, but “the silicon to support that FDD spectrum doesn’t become available until later in 2019,” according to Gordon Mansfield, AT&T’s VP of converged access and device technology.
To put it simply, the first 5G devices will spend a lot of their time running on 4G LTE networks because that’s the most compatible and available thing they’ll have to connect to.”
“Beside still being more a recipe than a fully cooked dish, 5G also has one particularly distasteful aspect. Its fastest speeds come from airwaves in the millimeter-wave frequency range, which has been dubbed mmWave. Verizon has 28GHz, and AT&T operates at 39GHz. Anyone who’s ever tried the failed LTE rival that was WiMAX knows the biggest problem with these high-frequency transmissions: they struggle to penetrate through walls or other physical obstructions. The fallback of lower-frequency, sub-6GHz 5G will happen, we’re told, but “the silicon to support that FDD spectrum doesn’t become available until later in 2019,” according to Gordon Mansfield, AT&T’s VP of converged access and device technology.
To put it simply, the first 5G devices will spend a lot of their time running on 4G LTE networks because that’s the most compatible and available thing they’ll have to connect to.”
Read my post #17 of this thread. There will need to be a lot of antennas to overcome the reduced penetration limitation (based on physics). I don't think this aspect has sunk in yet with most people. You will need more antennas, more connections to these antennas, more routing of coax, more cost...
So, the rumored 2 year delay in Apple's ability to deliver a 5G capable phone (till nearly 2021) is not a technical one -- but the result of choosing a second rate supplier because they're in a pissing contest with the high end one....
You seem to be quite focused on 5G and how it’s going to solve all of your problems and make your phone infinitely better than anything else on the planet. I’m thinking you should probalby buy a Samsung phone.
Nope, not at all. But communication is probably the single biggest requirement of mobile, communications device. If I'm going to pay over a thousand dollars for one I don't want obsolete communications protocols. If waiting gave me a better phone, that would be different. But here its a business decision on Apple's part to go with a non-performing supplier.
So say you without a shred of evidence to back it up. Apple has said precisely nothing about whose 5G modem they will be using. It’s all rumor and could be a play to put more pressure on Qualcomm. You think Qualcomm wouldn’t sell its own mother into slavery to get Apple’s contract? It could also be that Intel will come up with a superior product to Qualcomm. You sir have made many assumptions based on rumors and your uninformed personal bias against Apple and Intel.
Bottom line is 2019 is not going to see much of anything involving 5G except for marketing blather and a few hot spots in major cities. Most of those 5G phones will be running primarily on 4G LTE networks for years to come.
So, the rumored 2 year delay in Apple's ability to deliver a 5G capable phone (till nearly 2021) is not a technical one -- but the result of choosing a second rate supplier because they're in a pissing contest with the high end one....
You seem to be quite focused on 5G and how it’s going to solve all of your problems and make your phone infinitely better than anything else on the planet. I’m thinking you should probalby buy a Samsung phone.
Nope, not at all. But communication is probably the single biggest requirement of mobile, communications device. If I'm going to pay over a thousand dollars for one I don't want obsolete communications protocols. If waiting gave me a better phone, that would be different. But here its a business decision on Apple's part to go with a non-performing supplier.
So say you without a shred of evidence to back it up. Apple has said precisely nothing about whose 5G modem they will be using. It’s all rumor and could be a play to put more pressure on Qualcomm. You think Qualcomm wouldn’t sell its own mother into slavery to get Apple’s contract? It could also be that Intel will come up with a superior product to Qualcomm. You sir have made many assumptions based on rumors and your uninformed personal bias against Apple and Intel.
Bottom line is 2019 is not going to see much of anything involving 5G except for marketing blather and a few hot spots in major cities. Most of those 5G phones will be running primarily on 4G LTE networks for years to come.
I didn't know it was an unfounded rumor that Apple had dumped Qualcom for Intel. LOL...
But you are making a big assumption that they will return to Qualcom. They might, but I suspect it would take either a lot of pressure on Apple to return to them with their tail between their legs or a Quallcom capitulation -- neither of which are likely.
And no, I'm not biased against either Apple or Intel. But, in this case Intel is not (and has not) performed as well as Qualcom: Intel's modems have been slower and it does not appear that they have been able to develop a 5G compatible modem. I support Apple in their plan to avoid Qualcomm's extortion -- but I kinda wish they/we didn't have to accept second best to do it.
But looking only at 2019 is misguided: If Apple/Intel can't produce a 5G modem before their 2019 phones roll out, that's effectively 2020. And, with phones now lasting 4-5 years, that means their users will be be stuck with 4G out into 2023 or 2024.
“Beside still being more a recipe than a fully cooked dish, 5G also has one particularly distasteful aspect. Its fastest speeds come from airwaves in the millimeter-wave frequency range, which has been dubbed mmWave. Verizon has 28GHz, and AT&T operates at 39GHz. Anyone who’s ever tried the failed LTE rival that was WiMAX knows the biggest problem with these high-frequency transmissions: they struggle to penetrate through walls or other physical obstructions. The fallback of lower-frequency, sub-6GHz 5G will happen, we’re told, but “the silicon to support that FDD spectrum doesn’t become available until later in 2019,” according to Gordon Mansfield, AT&T’s VP of converged access and device technology.
To put it simply, the first 5G devices will spend a lot of their time running on 4G LTE networks because that’s the most compatible and available thing they’ll have to connect to.”
Bingo! Many 5G phones will have to switch back to 4G LTE to penetrate walls and buildings. And that means multiple antennae per device, at least in the near term.
What is needs is one of those 3D multi-band antennas that uses spooky physics to send and receive data over multiple frequencies simultaneously. Until then, 5G is for spec-weenie bragging rights. Nothing more.
Comments
They’ll have 3 year old SoCs by the time 5G is common. Which means their SoC will be 5 years behind Apple. They’ll also have devices with first-gen 5G, which means they’ll be behind newer devices with the latest 5G modems.
Nobody using LTE is getting anywhere near their theoretical limit in speed so who’s faster is moot. It’s like a Corolla and Ferrari both stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. 5G won’t be much different.
Further, where’s the incentive for carriers to build out LTE (which still isn’t everywhere and nowhere near it’s performance capability) when they’re now spending money on 5G? The joke is on vendors with the latest LTE modems that will NEVER reach their potential because the industry is focused on 5G.
Again, it’s just something Android vendors (and users) will promote like crazy because they get their ass handed to them by the iPhone in so many areas. So when the odd “win” comes along they run with it as if it’s the Second Coming of Christ.
Very few transmission technologies reach their theoretical highs but QC and Huawei can still top what Apple is using in real world use.
QC will release its 5G modem on a new SoC. Huawei will do the same. That tandem will progress year after year. They will not be behind. They are part of the group of major players who have developed 5G!
If the suspected Apple roadmap plays out, you will be waiting for 5G until very late 2020 (basically 2021) before there is any traction.
That is a fair while and only time will tell how rollouts finally go but we are going to see a lot of activity between now and then.
It's not perfect and there is room for improvement but it's definitely better than being left out in the cold simply because it costs too much to provide you with access.
It's irrelevant if each new SoC gets a better 5G modem. The people who buy NOW will have an inferior modem. To use it as some sort of bragging right about being first is pointless, since they too will be outclassed by newer modems. So that new S10 (or Huawei Mate Wannabee 30) will not only have extremely limited usability due to lack of 5G coverage, they'll be stuck using an inferior modem when 5G finally becomes widespread.
When Apple ships a device with a 5G modem it will outclass all previous devices with 5G and will be at the same level as everyone else (since 5G is a standard, there's nothing Huawei, Qualcomm or all the other IP holders can do to prevent that - they have to license the tech to everyone equally). Apple may even buy from Qualcomm again (after they get their ass handed to them in court). Either way, Apple will come to the party when the tech is mature and with a solution that matches everyone else. Except the rest of Apple's SoC will, for the umpteenth time, completely outclass everyone elses SoC, making Apples overall solution superior. Again.
You're right about the fact I'll be waiting - for the industry to have widespread adoption of 5G (which will be after Apple ships a device with 5G). The more interesting aspect is that when Apple launches a 5G iPhone it will literally only take a year (or less) to have more 5G iPhones in the world than ALL the other flagship vendors COMBINED.
It's hilarious to think carriers are going to rely on Android 5G phones to push the industry forward when only a small percentage of them will have 5G, and it won't really take off until Apple releases a 5G equipped iPhone. Just like Bluetooth Low Energy didn't gain traction until Apple shipped an iPhone with it. You need customers to use your technology. And there's not enough Android customers in the world to make 5G take off. That'll only happen when Apple comes on board.
Marketing is going to play a key role until 5G gains traction. Carriers don't want to invest in infrastructure and then see users hold off, waiting for it to mature. There is nothing hilarious about it. They want to see a return from the get go so you can bet your last dollar that they will push 5G handsets (in markets that can use the technology) to create the necessary demand for new plans. 5G phones and anyone who makes them (yes, Android phones) will float to the top of carrier handset priorities and that probably means Samsung will see quite a push from carriers in the US. Beyond the US, Huawei will receive the same treatment.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/5/18126951/iphone-5g-apple-development-roadmap-network
“Beside still being more a recipe than a fully cooked dish, 5G also has one particularly distasteful aspect. Its fastest speeds come from airwaves in the millimeter-wave frequency range, which has been dubbed mmWave. Verizon has 28GHz, and AT&T operates at 39GHz. Anyone who’s ever tried the failed LTE rival that was WiMAX knows the biggest problem with these high-frequency transmissions: they struggle to penetrate through walls or other physical obstructions. The fallback of lower-frequency, sub-6GHz 5G will happen, we’re told, but “the silicon to support that FDD spectrum doesn’t become available until later in 2019,” according to Gordon Mansfield, AT&T’s VP of converged access and device technology.
To put it simply, the first 5G devices will spend a lot of their time running on 4G LTE networks because that’s the most compatible and available thing they’ll have to connect to.”
Bottom line is 2019 is not going to see much of anything involving 5G except for marketing blather and a few hot spots in major cities. Most of those 5G phones will be running primarily on 4G LTE networks for years to come.
But you are making a big assumption that they will return to Qualcom. They might, but I suspect it would take either a lot of pressure on Apple to return to them with their tail between their legs or a Quallcom capitulation -- neither of which are likely.
And no, I'm not biased against either Apple or Intel. But, in this case Intel is not (and has not) performed as well as Qualcom: Intel's modems have been slower and it does not appear that they have been able to develop a 5G compatible modem. I support Apple in their plan to avoid Qualcomm's extortion -- but I kinda wish they/we didn't have to accept second best to do it.
But looking only at 2019 is misguided: If Apple/Intel can't produce a 5G modem before their 2019 phones roll out, that's effectively 2020. And, with phones now lasting 4-5 years, that means their users will be be stuck with 4G out into 2023 or 2024.
Bingo! Many 5G phones will have to switch back to 4G LTE to penetrate walls and buildings. And that means multiple antennae per device, at least in the near term.
What is needs is one of those 3D multi-band antennas that uses spooky physics to send and receive data over multiple frequencies simultaneously. Until then, 5G is for spec-weenie bragging rights. Nothing more.