The latest rumors assure that the iPhone 12 would not have support for the 700MHz band of 5G networks. What does this mean and what consequences could it have?
5G is a real puzzle for many of us, with countless half-truths, half-lies and technical specifications that most mortals surpass us. However in this article we will try to explain it in a way that everyone who is interested can understand it.
Two types of 5G: Sub-6Ghz and mmWave
When you talk about the virtues of 5G, you are generally always talking about the 5G mmWave. This technology uses high frequency bands ranging from 24GHz to 40GHz, with supersonic speeds (up to 5Gbps), minimal latency and the possibility of allowing infinite simultaneous connections. However, this mmWave technology requires you to be next to a mobile antenna, because the range it has is minimal and it also does not go through walls. At the moment this technology is available in very few areas, even in the United States its existence is almost anecdotal. In Spain, it is not yet known when the auction will be held so that operators can use these high frequency bands.
We also have the 5G Sub-6GHz, which uses bands below 6GHz. This is the one currently being used in Spain, with the different operators making use of the 3,7GHz bands that were the first to be auctioned. It is a true 5G, but it does not offer the bandwidth of the 5G mmWave although in return it improves the coverage, which without being very wide it does far exceed that of the 5G mmWave. The speeds offered by this 5G Sub-6GHz are higher than those of 4G, reaching up to 200Mbps.
700MHz, required for unpopulated areas
The next auction for the deployment of 5G will be the one that affects the 700MHz frequency. This low-frequency band is very interesting because, although it offers a very limited bandwidth, its range is much greater and it can cross obstacles. The speeds that it will offer us will be lower, the latency greater and it will also saturate more easily when there are many people connected. So why so much interest? Because it will be the one that allows 5G to be taken to more depopulated areas, where it is not technically possible to place many antennas, and in which the population density does not saturate them. For practical purposes, it is unknown what advantages this 5G 700MHz will have compared to the 4G that we have right now.
The 5G in the iPhone 12
The latest rumors point out that the next iPhone 12 would not have support for the 5G mmWave outside the United States, selling out of this country models only with 5G Sub-6GHz. If we take into account that we do not even know when the use of this type of network will begin to be allowed in Spain, the reality is that it does not seem like something that will affect us too much, at least in the next 2 or 3 years. But also a rumor has appeared that the iPhone 12 might not support the 700MHz frequency in any country in the world, which can be a problem, although less than many think.
The 5G is not linked to the 700MHz, in fact right now the bands that are being used are, as we indicated before, those of 3,7GHz. In addition, others will be added later, such as 1.5GHz and 2.3 GHz. The problem will be in those areas less populated and with greater dispersion in which these bands are not used and depend on the frequencies of 700MHz, there your iPhone will not be able to make use of 5G, although of course they will have 4G available as before.
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