Earlier this year, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that iPhones to launch in 2020 will feature support for 5G. A new report now gives a clear idea about the internals of the upcoming iPhones and what will enable 5G on them.
Nikkei Asian Review has cited four unnamed and reported that Apple is developing a new A-series chip for next year’s iPhones and the chipset will be based on a 5-nanometer process. This 5nm chipset will be made by Taiwan’s TSMC who is also involved in designing Huawei’s 5nm-based system-on-chip. Previous reports pointed out that TSMC’s 5nm process is set to hit mass production by the first half of 2020.
The report claims that Apple could, however, be the first company to deliver a 5-nanometer based Processor as it did with the 7-nanometer chip last year with the A12 Bionic.
Besides computing power, the next-generation iPhones will also carry support for 5G cellular networks with the help of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G modem. The chipset will make room for faster download speeds and this chip will be coupled with Apple’s own next-generation A-series chip.
The report further claims that Apple is developing its own 5G modem that could be integrated into its future A-series processor. This was evident since the Cupertino company earlier this year bought out Intel’s 5G smartphone modem business for close to $1 billion.
Nikkei also details that Apple’s next iPhone will house time-of-flight 3D Sensors for the rear camera. This 3D sensing camera will be able to “sense the environment and detect objects for applications such as augmented reality games”.
The report also says that “at least” two of the three next iPhones will feature flexible OLED displays. This could make enable the next iPhone to feature curved screens with better contrast and brightness. With 5G enabled, Apple plans to sell at least 80 million units of the 2020 iPhones next year and Apple’s adoption of 5G could boost 5G rollout across various regions.