Apple will release two 5G-ready iPhones in 2020, according to analyst

Mobile 5G internet is still a dream for most, but Apple could help make it a reality next year.

That’s what TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks. He said Monday in a research note that two of Apple’s three iPhones released in 2020 will be 5G-compatible for the first time.

Kuo’s note said Apple will release three OLED iPhones next year, backing up an earlier DigiTimes report. If you want 5G, you’ll need to get the 5.4-inch or the 6.7-inch model; the 6.1-inch model will still only go up to LTE, per the research note.

In clearer terms, that means Apple will basically do what it did last year. The company will release two higher-end phones like the XS and XS Max, while a more affordable option brings up the rear like the XR. If those sizes are accurate, it means the successor to the XS will be slightly smaller and the successor to the XS Max will be slightly bigger.

Meanwhile, the follow-up to the XR should be the same size. If these reports hold true and iPhone lovers can access 5G networks next year, they could see crazy network speeds in supported markets like this.

It’s possible that Apple can only make 5G iPhones happen next year thanks to a recent settlement with Qualcomm. The two tech giants ended years of legal fighting in April, agreeing to work together once again. Qualcomm is best equipped to put 5G modems in iPhones right now, so former partner Intel backed out not long after the settlement was reached.

Kuo’s note also indicated every iPhone released in 2021 would support 5G. On top of that, the company might be able to make its own 5G modems and stop relying on Qualcomm in the years after that. 

Hopefully 5G is available to more people by then.