mmWave 5G on iPhone 13 Remains Limited to U.S. Models

[zahuh]

Anyone out there have an iPhone 12 with mmwave and came to london by chance? Did mmwave work??

No UK carriers have implemented mmWave

5G Frequency Bands and Spectrum Allocation in the UK

Ofcom has worked with other European spectrum regulators to identify three key bands that will enable 5G in Europe: 700 MHz, 3.4-3.8 GHz, and 24.25-27.5 GHz. However, the UK regulator is committed to exploring and utilising other bands for 5G in the UK.

5g.co.uk

Thank you for updating me on the poor decision made by the UK cell networks!

 

[Populus]

I’m interested in 5G, but not specially interested in mmWave 5G, because the ultra short range and the heat and the stress it puts to the phone/battery. Also, we don’t have a real deployment of mmWave 5G on our contry outside of some testings in 2 big cities. Good they saved themselves the antenna.

 

[xpxp2002]

I’m interested in 5G, but not specially interested in mmWave 5G, because the ultra short range and the heat and the stress it puts to the phone/battery. Also, we don’t have a real deployment of mmWave 5G on our contry outside of some testings in 2 big cities. Good they saved themselves the antenna.

There is a place for mmWave. It's going to be a game changer for concert venues and stadiums.

For example, there is an outdoor venue that regularly hosts 10k-15k people all summer long near me. The cell service for all three providers is off of a nearby macro site. And going as far back as I can remember, even 15+ years ago, every time there's an event at this venue, the cell service becomes completely unusable on all of the providers.

mmWave, if deployed in a venue like this, would mostly resolve that. There just isn't enough bandwidth to accommodate 10,000 people on one sector of one macro site, even if you throw 100+ MHz of spectrum at it for 300 Mbps of LTE downlink capacity with high density antennas. On the other hand, if you look at Verizon in the US, they probably have one of the most advanced mmWave deployments in the world and they are regularly pushing 2-4 Gbps per sector off of their mmWave sites with either one or two 10 Gbps backhauls. Put one of those mmWave poles at a venue like that and give 10k people an aggregate ~10 Gbps of throughput spread across three sectors and you'll have very usable speeds.

Keep in mind that not everyone among that 10k is using their phone at once, but even if any given 1,000 people inside the venue are at one time you can give every person a dedicated 10 Mbps in that simplistic, but not unrealistic scenario.

 

[400]

Anyone out there have an iPhone 12 with mmwave and came to london by chance? Did mmwave work??

Thank you for updating me on the poor decision made by the UK cell networks!

Not sure anyone has made a bad choice yet. Looking at the frequencies this runs on the infrastructure is not in and licences not sold, but there seems a few other constraints as well. I wonder if this will go industry use rather tan boggo mobile (stadia etc. as already mentioned). Government paper on it as well with regards planning (UK).

Then you need backhaul for it.

 

[unclemax]

I‘m planning to stick with my XR for at least another year, including for reasons like this - 5G‘s a bit raw. But more on the point, which other countries use mmWave 5G? I‘m a big fan of the idea of the “world phone” (ever since being stuck in the US in 2008 with an expensive European Nokia smartphone that could only access “peasant” 2G GSM network, ha ha), but the zoo of bands in use is getting too obscure. Even talking about LTE, there’s a band that’s only used in Japan and France, and which is missing from my phone. Does it technically make my iPhone not a world phone? Yep. But do I obsess about it? Absolutely not.

 

[zahuh]

Not sure anyone has made a bad choice yet. Looking at the frequencies this runs on the infrastructure is not in and licences not sold, but there seems a few other constraints as well. I wonder if this will go industry use rather tan boggo mobile (stadia etc. as already mentioned). Government paper on it as well with regards planning (UK).

Then you need backhaul for it.

The bad choice is being lazy and not adding it already. It’s 2021 and this is the second generation iPhone that has the technology. Millions and millions of devices are out there. It’s time to build mmwave.

 

[chipsandsalsa]

The X60 is an improved 5G cellular radio. Improved power efficiency, VoNR support, sub-6+mmWave aggregation, and more bands supported.

Do we have confirmation/source that they did put the X60 chip in the 13? I know the 12 had the less than stellar X55, but I wouldnt put it past them to try to milk that X55 again for iPhone 13/Pro. Would be even better if it had the X65...

 

[400]

The bad choice is being lazy and not adding it already. It’s 2021 and this is the second generation iPhone that has the technology. Millions and millions of devices are out there. It’s time to build mmwave.

They look to be planning its uses and the freqs have not been auctioned off yet it seems. Find out soon what they intend for it. Seems they are still trying to work out where it will sit and uses it will be put to.

What would you use it for?

 

[zahuh]

They look to be planning its uses and the freqs have not been auctioned off yet it seems. Find out soon what they intend for it. Seems they are still trying to work out where it will sit and uses it will be put to.

What would you use it for?

Watching TikTok really fast.

 

[hot-gril]

There is a place for mmWave. It's going to be a game changer for concert venues and stadiums.

For example, there is an outdoor venue that regularly hosts 10k-15k people all summer long near me. The cell service for all three providers is off of a nearby macro site. And going as far back as I can remember, even 15+ years ago, every time there's an event at this venue, the cell service becomes completely unusable on all of the providers.

mmWave, if deployed in a venue like this, would mostly resolve that. There just isn't enough bandwidth to accommodate 10,000 people on one sector of one macro site, even if you throw 100+ MHz of spectrum at it for 300 Mbps of LTE downlink capacity with high density antennas. On the other hand, if you look at Verizon in the US, they probably have one of the most advanced mmWave deployments in the world and they are regularly pushing 2-4 Gbps per sector off of their mmWave sites with either one or two 10 Gbps backhauls. Put one of those mmWave poles at a venue like that and give 10k people an aggregate ~10 Gbps of throughput spread across three sectors and you'll have very usable speeds.

Keep in mind that not everyone among that 10k is using their phone at once, but even if any given 1,000 people inside the venue are at one time you can give every person a dedicated 10 Mbps in that simplistic, but not unrealistic scenario.

I appreciate the technical explanation, but even if I want to use my phone in an event, I'll benefit from the 5G deployment regardless of whether my phone supports it... cause it'll take everyone else's phones off the 4G

 

[rocketbuc]

Does it make sense to buy a US iPhone 13 over the European variant for future proofing? I’m based in Switzerland but might be able to get my hands on a US version.

 

[liberte1776]

The X60 is an improved 5G cellular radio. Improved power efficiency, VoNR support, sub-6+mmWave aggregation, and more bands supported.

Apple does not list VoNR support, but WHY?!