Last week, a report claimed that Apple may launch its first iPhone with 5G modems in the second half of 2020, and it seems that the company has already started to work in that direction. The antenna technology in smartphones has to match the minimal requirements to get blazing fast speeds of 5G. According to an analyst, the Cupertino-based giant has identified a new antenna technology and may incorporate the tech in the 2019 line-up of iPhones. In his latest research note (via 9to5mac), famous analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that Apple will shun the Liquid Crystal Polymer antenna technology that it currently uses in its iPhones, and use a new combination of Modified PI technology. Although it is not mentioned whether the new tech is being incorporated keeping in mind the 5G communication technology, but the modification could be the first step in that direction. Kuo outlines several reasons for Apple to make this change. Firstly, he claims that the company is said to have “lower bargaining power” against LCP material suppliers and it is also difficult to introduce additional LCP suppliers due to the “complicated production process” of the material. Secondly, LCP is more “brittle” than its alternatives and, hence, has issues with yield rate. He also says that improving that yield rate could potentially lower the antenna’s performance. In the case of of Modified PI antenna, Kuo claims that the performance “can be as good as LCP thanks to the improved fluoride formula.” Kuo predicts that the 2019 iPhone models will adopt four MPI antennae and two LCP antennae. The current generation of iPhones, the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max have six LCP antennas each. The analyst goes on to say that the number of suppliers for MPI antennae for the 2019 iPhones will be five which will give Apple more bargaining power. The LCP antennae tech used in the 2019 iPhones will be supplied “exclusively by the Japanese supplier thanks to its better vertical integration,” Kuo was quoted as saying. According to tech news platform Fast Company, Apple is planning to use Intel’s 8161 5G modem chip in its 2020 phones. Intel hopes to fabricate the 8161 using its 10-nanometer process, which increases transistor density for more speed and efficiency. “If everything goes as planned, Intel will be the sole provider of iPhone modems,” the report said. Intel has been working on a precursor to the 8161 called the 8060, which will be used for prototyping and testing the 5G iPhone, the report claimed. On the contrary, smartphone manufacturers Oppo, Huawei, and Xiaomi are expected to contain 5G modem chips made by Qualcomm.
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