2020 5G iPhone coming in 5.4- and 6.7-inch sizes, LTE 6.1-inch iPhone [u]

AppleInsider · June 17, 2019 1:22PM

Apple is predicted to produce three iPhones again in 2020, with the 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch models having 5G, and the 6.1-inch model sticking with LTE.

Chinese media outlets are reporting that noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that Qualcomm will be the 5G supplier in 2020 for Apple. Additionally, the entire line won't have the technology, and will be limited to the smallest and largest sizes in the range.

The 5G connectivity is expected to not just include the sub-6GHz network, but also mmWave -- the source of much of the promised speed of 5G.

According to the note originally published supplied to Chinese media and since seen by AppleInsider, Broadcom will supply much of the sub-5G connectivity and power circuitry, with Skyworks tapped for additional components.

This isn't the first rumor suggesting 5G support in the 2020 iPhone. Beyond 5G support, the 2020 iPhone is expected to get 3D depth sensing capabilities using the rear camera. It is also suggested Apple could bring back Touch ID by taking advantage of acoustic fingerprinting to turn the entire display into a fingerprint reader, something that has been featured in a few patent applications by the company.

There is also some discussion of a second-generation iPhone SE that has the same internals as the iPhone 8. While "a few suppliers" pointed to an early 2020 launch, others reportedly did not have knowledge about the supposed smartphone.

Kuo expects that iPhone sales will grow from between 188 million and 192 million in 2019, to 195 million to 200 million by 2020 with the introduction of 5G. Between 70 million and 75 million of those sales in 2020 are predicted to be in the second half of 2020, following the iPhone 5G release.

Even with the increase from 2019 to 2020, that still falls short of the heyday of iPhone sales in 2015, with the company selling 231.2 million iPhones in that year. The company sold 211.8 million, 216.8 million, and 217.7 million iPhones in fiscal years 2016, 2017, and 2018 respectively.

In regards to the "iPhone 5G," TSMC has also developed a 5-nanometer design infrastructure, which can be employed for future chip designs and could land in the 2020 refresh. Earlier speculation suggested it could be used in the "A14" chips for the 2020 iPhones, and depending on the fortunes of N6, could still be a possibility.

Other rumors have pegged the entire 2020 line to use OLED screens, versus OLED in two models, and LCD in the iPhone XR at present. Samsung is expected to be the main supplier of OLED screens, but LG Display and Japan Display aren't presently expected to garner any orders.

Update June 17, 9:46 A.M. Eastern Time: Assorted updates after AppleInsider has seen the note.

uktechie · June 17, 2019 1:36PM

2020? That’s more than a year behind their competitors.

If I’m paying Apple’s premium prices I expect the best so the 2019 4G model is going to be a difficult sell for Apple.

I look forward to getting a 5G iPhone but I expect 2019 sales to be poor, at least in areas where 5G is available amor about to launch soon (we’ve had it for a few weeks in major curries in the UK).

harry wild · June 17, 2019 1:48PM

Totally cockeyed marketing. Why not go all 5G in all sizes including the lust after 4” size?

genovelle · June 17, 2019 1:53PM

uktechie said:

2020? That’s more than a year behind their competitors.

If I’m paying Apple’s premium prices I expect the best so the 2019 4G model is going to be a difficult sell for Apple.

I look forward to getting a 5G iPhone but I expect 2019 sales to be poor, at least in areas where 5G is available amor about to launch soon (we’ve had it for a few weeks in major curries in the UK).

No really. When 3G & 4G came out they were a year behind and that was a good thing. The tech was not there yet and the modems were unrefined making them very power hungry especially as they searched constantly for towers that did not have exist yet and we’re not presenting the advertised speed. Of course there were no real complaints because the buyers of those other models tend mostly to be either non techs or complicit with Android so they pretend nothing happened. Apple prefers to release products when they are ready which for the customers Apple is targeting makes it well worth a premium. Our phones also have a much longer life. When was the last time you heard that an android phone was passed down twice in a family and is still on the latest software?

SoundJudgment · June 17, 2019 1:58PM

uktechie said:

2020? That’s more than a year behind their competitors.

If I’m paying Apple’s premium prices I expect the best so the 2019 4G model is going to be a difficult sell for Apple.

I look forward to getting a 5G iPhone but I expect 2019 sales to be poor, at least in areas where 5G is available amor about to launch soon (we’ve had it for a few weeks in major curries in the UK).

5G won't be in saturated operation to any great degree till 2020 at the very earliest. Apple loses nothing by waiting one year longer.

avon b7 · June 17, 2019 2:07PM

Surprised by this rumour as I expected the 5G modem to finally be on the SoC by then. This indicates that it still won't be (unless the 2020 low end model ships with a 2019 SoC).

cropr · June 17, 2019 2:35PM

genovelle said:

uktechie said:

2020? That’s more than a year behind their competitors.

If I’m paying Apple’s premium prices I expect the best so the 2019 4G model is going to be a difficult sell for Apple.

I look forward to getting a 5G iPhone but I expect 2019 sales to be poor, at least in areas where 5G is available amor about to launch soon (we’ve had it for a few weeks in major curries in the UK).

No really. When 3G & 4G came out they were a year behind and that was a good thing. The tech was not there yet and the modems were unrefined making them very power hungry especially as they searched constantly for towers that did not have exist yet and we’re not presenting the advertised speed. Of course there were no real complaints because the buyers of those other models tend mostly to be either non techs or complicit with Android so they pretend nothing happened. Apple prefers to release products when they are ready which for the customers Apple is targeting makes it well worth a premium. Our phones also have a much longer life. When was the last time you heard that an android phone was passed down twice in a family and is still on the latest software?

4G required a lot of new masts, which took time to build. 5G (at least the part using the existing frequencies) can reuse the existing masts. So that part of 5G can be operational quite quickly.

There are 2 crucial points here to consider:

- When the 3G to 4G migration took place, people were on average buying a new phone every 18 - 24 months, now it is more in the 30 to 36 months range. Meaning that a user will be stuck till end of 2022 with a 4G phone if he buys one in the 2019 christmas quarter. This will most probably jeopardize the sales in the christmas quarter for the vendors that don't offer 5G phones.

- The article gives the impression that the speed increase is only happening with the mm waves. This is not fully correct. Users will experience a speed increase with 5G using the existing frequencies

GG1 · June 17, 2019 2:45PM

avon b7 said:

Surprised by this rumour as I expected the 5G modem to finally be on the SoC by then. This indicates that it still won't be (unless the 2020 low end model ships with a 2019 SoC).

My take is that the 2020 OLED iPhones will use Qualcomm's X55 modem chipset in addition to Apple's A-series processor. Did you think both would be on the same carrier (making it an SoC)? Or I misunderstood you?

If you're thinking Apple's modem design combined with their A-series processor (in an SoC), then I think that's 5 years out or so.

tmay · June 17, 2019 2:51PM

GG1 said:

avon b7 said:

Surprised by this rumour as I expected the 5G modem to finally be on the SoC by then. This indicates that it still won't be (unless the 2020 low end model ships with a 2019 SoC).

My take is that the 2020 OLED iPhones will use Qualcomm's X55 modem chipset in addition to Apple's A-series processor. Did you think both would be on the same carrier (making it an SoC)? Or I misunderstood you?

If you're thinking Apple's modem design combined with their A-series processor (in an SoC), then I think that's 5 years out or so.

Maybe 3 years according to new story on AI;

https://appleinsider.com/articles/19/06/17/apples-own-5g-modem-expected-to-land-as-soon-as-2022

Eric_WVGG · June 17, 2019 2:57PM

potatoman said:

5.4 in a full screen design like the iPhone X would bring it back down to the size of the iPhone 6/7/8, maybe even smaller.

it's the exact size of an iPhone SE (the entire casing, not the screen)

I pray this rumor is real. Besides my own selfish desire for a hand-sized phone, there's just not enough differentiation in the current lineup. Having significantly different models to choose between will bring more upgraders.

Image: https://forums.appleinsider.com/uploads/editor/2e/rdfgl8j9rk9i.png

StrangeDays · June 17, 2019 3:32PM

uktechie said:

2020? That’s more than a year behind their competitors.

If I’m paying Apple’s premium prices I expect the best so the 2019 4G model is going to be a difficult sell for Apple.

You must be new to Apple. Historically they aren't bleeding edge specs, they wait until things are stabilized and what they release is usually more solid. NFC, LTE, OLED, etc.

It's fine. It's not DOOOM.

mazda 3s · June 17, 2019 3:35PM

Why would Apple go back to a fingerprint reader -- especially an in-glass one? I would assumed it would not be as good as the most recent Touch ID versions, and I thought Face ID was supposed to be more secure than Touch ID anyway?

And what about the front facing cameras and facial mapping (Animoji, Memoji) -- still gonna need that hardware, right? So why bother?

neilm · June 17, 2019 5:08PM

uktechie said:

(we’ve had it for a few weeks in major curries in the UK).

Well, you can find about anything in a curry these days.

mac_128 · June 17, 2019 5:31PM

Eric_WVGG said:

potatoman said:

5.4 in a full screen design like the iPhone X would bring it back down to the size of the iPhone 6/7/8, maybe even smaller.

it's the exact size of an iPhone SE (the entire casing, not the screen)

I pray this rumor is real. Besides my own selfish desire for a hand-sized phone, there's just not enough differentiation in the current lineup. Having significantly different models to choose between will bring more upgraders.

Interesting.

Top: iPhone SE -- iPhone XE
Bottom: iPhone 7/8 -- iPhone X

seanj · June 17, 2019 5:53PM

Given 5G has launched here in the U.K. and compatible phones are already available from other manufacturers, waiting until 2020 - over a year away - will only reduce Apple’s market share further. (I have an iPhone 6 and it’s in need of replacement, but the next killer feature for me is not Face ID nor ARkit etc, it’s 5G.)

i suspect the 2019 iPhone will feature a Qualcomm 5G modem, hence the legal settlement, with it being replaced with Apple’s own modem in 2020 or later.

M68000 · June 17, 2019 5:54PM

Wow, bring on fingerprint sensor if you can, please. I just changed to an 8 plus, coming from always using smaller phones. Thought it was time to try something different. So far liking it- The screen on the 8 plus is absolutely huge. There is just about zero chance I would want a 6.7 Inch size LOL. Having the convenience of Touch ID was a big factor.

AppleExposed · June 17, 2019 6:24PM

Eric_WVGG said:

potatoman said:

5.4 in a full screen design like the iPhone X would bring it back down to the size of the iPhone 6/7/8, maybe even smaller.

it's the exact size of an iPhone SE (the entire casing, not the screen)

I pray this rumor is real. Besides my own selfish desire for a hand-sized phone, there's just not enough differentiation in the current lineup. Having significantly different models to choose between will bring more upgraders.

Please Please PLEASE

I've wanted this forever!!!

uktechie said:

2020? That’s more than a year behind their competitors.

If I’m paying Apple’s premium prices I expect the best so the 2019 4G model is going to be a difficult sell for Apple.

I look forward to getting a 5G iPhone but I expect 2019 sales to be poor, at least in areas where 5G is available amor about to launch soon (we’ve had it for a few weeks in major curries in the UK).

No one will give a sh** about 5G until Apple does it and they'll do it right.

avon b7 · June 17, 2019 6:35PM

GG1 said:

avon b7 said:

Surprised by this rumour as I expected the 5G modem to finally be on the SoC by then. This indicates that it still won't be (unless the 2020 low end model ships with a 2019 SoC).

My take is that the 2020 OLED iPhones will use Qualcomm's X55 modem chipset in addition to Apple's A-series processor. Did you think both would be on the same carrier (making it an SoC)? Or I misunderstood you?

If you're thinking Apple's modem design combined with their A-series processor (in an SoC), then I think that's 5 years out or so.

Yes, your last part. I thought the 5G (multimode) modem would have made it onto the SoC by the end of 2020. This rumour points to it being a separate part so it could be further off. How long though, I don't know. But, and although it's a guessing game, five years seems too long.

GG1 · June 17, 2019 7:01PM

avon b7 said:

GG1 said:

avon b7 said:

Surprised by this rumour as I expected the 5G modem to finally be on the SoC by then. This indicates that it still won't be (unless the 2020 low end model ships with a 2019 SoC).

My take is that the 2020 OLED iPhones will use Qualcomm's X55 modem chipset in addition to Apple's A-series processor. Did you think both would be on the same carrier (making it an SoC)? Or I misunderstood you?

If you're thinking Apple's modem design combined with their A-series processor (in an SoC), then I think that's 5 years out or so.

Yes, your last part. I thought the 5G (multimode) modem would have made it onto the SoC by the end of 2020. This rumour points to it being a separate part so it could be further off. How long though, I don't know. But, and although it's a guessing game, five years seems too long.

Based on Tmay's comment above (from today's AI article), it could be as early as 2022 iPhones. I picked 5 years based on the 6 year Apple/Qualcomm agreement.

entropys · June 17, 2019 9:39PM

mazda 3s said:

Why would Apple go back to a fingerprint reader -- especially an in-glass one? I would assumed it would not be as good as the most recent Touch ID versions, and I thought Face ID was supposed to be more secure than Touch ID anyway?

And what about the front facing cameras and facial mapping (Animoji, Memoji) -- still gonna need that hardware, right? So why bother?

You would think so. However, my wife had a case at a dance competition where Touch ID would have been good. We were sitting in the audience of the dark theatre trying to be discrete while reading the upcoming competitors. So we had the brightness turned waaaay down and holding the phone real low and face down. Face ID doesn’t work that way and we had to use the passcode, meaning the phone was lit up longer than it needed to be

chasm · June 17, 2019 9:40PM

I would remind forum posters that Ming-Chi Kuo does not have a great track record on long-term predictions. In shorter terms (like same production year), he’s far more accurate than the average pundit, but still misses the occasional thing. On long term stuff, he has a habit of a) walking back a lot of things he said too early) and b) just being flat-out incorrect. Take his stuff with a pinch of salt unless he’s 6-8 months out from the debut.

2020 5G iPhone coming in 5.4- and 6.7-inch sizes, LTE 6.1-inch iPhone [u]

Comments