Apple’s upcoming iPhone 12 lineup is expected to support 5G connectivity across the board but as you likely know, not all 5G is the same.
The NR module is a pluggable module to ns-3 that can be used to simulate 5G New Radio (NR) cellular networks. The simulator is the natural evolution of LENA, the LTE/EPC Network Simulator, but its development started from the mmWave module because it was more advanced in terms of beamforming, TDD, 3GPP channel models for above 6 GHz bands, and wide bandwidth operation.
Namely, there are two different kinds of 5G – the faster millimeter wave variant and sub-6GHz spectrum which is slower but can travel further and better penetrate objects like walls.
According to one wireless industry source speaking to Fast Company, only Apple’s highest-end iPhone 12 will support the speedier mmWave 5G. The reasoning apparently comes down to real estate – only the largest model, tentatively known as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, has the space required to accommodate the mmWave antenna and the larger battery needed to offset its power draw.
What’s more, the source claims the mmWave-enabled iPhone 12 will only be sold in the US, Korea and Japan. This makes sense considering the cutting-edge tech isn’t well established globally.
For now, however, all we can do is wait and see what Apple’s next move is.
Image credit: Trmk, TPROduction