iPhone 5G: Apple Has Started Hiring for Next-Gen Connectivity
The iPhone is about to connect faster.
by Mike BrownGet ready for a speedy iPhone. A Thursday report claims Apple is hiring engineers with experience working with future-facing connectivity technologies, like 5G and millimeter wave. The hires could enable the company to offer support for the forthcoming cellular standard, designed for super-fast download speeds and support for new gadgets like autonomous cars.
The Bloomberg story claims that Apple has posted 10 job listings for chip designer-focused positions in San Diego, the home city of chip maker giant Qualcomm. The company has used Qualcomm modems in its iPhones from 2011 to this year, when it split to start working with Intel. Recent report claim Apple will use an Intel chip to offer 5G in its iPhones by 2020, laying the groundwork for this move by changing the materials of the antenna in next year’s device. Beyond 5G, Apple is looking for engineers to help with the A.I.-focused Neural Engine.
The iPhone X.
See more: iPhone 5G: Release Date, Price and Specs for Apple’s 2020 Phone
The 5G standard, finished in June 2018, is set to bring superfast speeds to smartphones. A Qualcomm test found speeds could jump from around 56 Mbps to nearly 500 Mbps based on a basic-level 3.5 GHz spectrum, with some even reaching a staggering 1.4 Gbps.
A report earlier this month claimed Apple will use a 10-nanometer Intel chip dubbed the 8161 to offer these new speeds, with the 8060 used in prototype models. The company is also planning to use MediaTek as a potential backup supplier. Another report this month claimed the company will switch from the six liquid crystal polymer antennas found in the iPhone XS, to a combination of two LCP antennas and four modified polyimide antennas, with next year’s iPhone.
Apple has launched a new iPhone every September for the past six years. With this in mind, it may be just 10 months from now that the first signs of Apple’s 5G plans start to take shape.
Other features expected in next year’s model include boosted Face ID using infrared light.
