Apple, the Cupertino giant had recently revealed the 2020 iPhones, all of which offered support for 5G and, going by the launch event for these devices, it was clearly evident where Apple’s priorities lay, at the time of launch, considering as to how most companies have shifted to an all-5G flagship lineup to cater to the needs of the consumers. The Cupertino giant however was a bit late to this trend, like Samsung, Xiaomi and even Oppo beat the company to the launch of the first 5G handset. It seems however that this was strategical in nature and going forward, Apple is focusing more and more on 5G, as it has now selected five different component suppliers so as to allow the upcoming iPhone 13 series of devices to include the faster mmWave 5G in more and more areas.
What Do We Know About Apple’s Plans
As mentioned earlier, all iPhone 12 models do come with 5G, but only those sold in the US come with the faster mmWave version. Now, it seems that buyers in certain international countries can expect mmWave in the upcoming iPhone 13 series of devices, as Apple is improving its component orders. As per a report by Digitimes, Apple has now placed orders with the Austrian manufacturer AT&S. The company had previously supplied Apple with mainboards and SiPs or System in Package for the iPhone, but its new role will see it produce AiPs or Antennas in Package for the 5G based handsets. The report mentions that five suppliers will now be providing AiP substrates for the next iPhone, the names of which as AT&S, LG Innotek, Semco, Kinsus Interconnect Technology and Unimircon Technology. It is believed that each of these five suppliers will receive the same number of orders from Apple, with unspecified sources stating to Digitimes Asia that around 60% of iPhone 13 models will support mmWave, which accounts for approximately 90 million smartphones, give or take. Each of these mmWave 5G supporting iPhones will need four separate AiP components, meaning a total order across the five suppliers of approximately 360 million Antenna in Package substrates will take place. Do note that DigiTimes has usually provided accurate information from the Apple supply chain, but it has a notably weaker track record for predicting Apple’s product plans, so this could stand true, as the report is regarding the former and not the latter.
