Apple is expected to releases 5G iPhones next year, but due to the much more heat produced by 5G chipsets the company will have to use larger motherboards, according to longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities.
In a note published on Sunday seen by cnTechPost, Kuo believes the iPhones Apple is expected to launch in the second half of 2020 will all support 5G. But the area of the motherboard will increase 10 to 15 percent for better heat dissipation and faster data transfers.
That comes at a cost with Kuo predicting the board fabrication and some new antenna technology will force a 35% increase in cost to build that component.
This is not to say the entire phone will cost 35% more, but do not that the iPhone’s motherboard is a significant cost. Larger expenses are the A-series processor that will be placed on that board, and the OLED screen expected to be mounted on the device.
As major competitors like Huawei and Samsung racing the clock to deploy 5G technology to their products, Apple is mobilizing suppliers to produce its first ever 5G iPhones next year.
Sources said there are three flagship models that features the most advanced mobile processors and leading-edge screens, the Nikkei Asian Review reported last week.
All three models will carry the 5G modem chip designed by Qualcomm called the X55. As per the report:
All three of the new iPhones will carry the most advanced 5G modem chip, known as X55 that is designed by U.S. mobile chip developer Qualcomm, four people familiar with the plan told Nikkei.
The chip, which enables much faster downloads, faces such an increase in demand that there could be supply constraints, one person added.
The X55 chip offers 7Gb/s peak download speeds and 3Gb/s upload speeds, though these numbers are theoretical maximums and actual speeds will depend on carrier network. The chip is Qualcomm's first 5G chip that supports all major frequency bands, operation modes, and network deployments.
The X55 is also more power efficient than Qualcomm's X50 chip, which means it will draw less energy and will have less of an impact on battery life when connected to a 5G network.
But still that will would produce much more heat than the chipsets used in the current iPhone 11 series.
The company plans to ship at least 80 million of the new 5G phones, one of the sources said, adding "it will be the first time Apple introduces 5G iPhones ... There will be three of them and the company has set an aggressive sales target."
The upgraded iPhones will also likely accelerate global carriers to roll out 5G telecoms infrastructure -- especially outside China, the report said.
Apple was originally planning to use Intel chips in its 2020 5G iPhones, but Intel is out of the smartphone chip business and Apple has no choice but to use Qualcomm's modem chips.
