I’m on a bit of a 5G kick right now, but that’s not all that crazy! As we head into 2020 5G is all the rage, especially from wireless carriers trying to get subscribers excited about what they’re offering. And while that obviously starts with what they’re offering right now, it really comes down to what’s coming down the line. What’s next.
That’s especially true for T-Mobile. This is a company that’s not waiting, so to speak. Earlier this month the company, under the “New T-Mobile” banner, broadcast to the world what it plans to do with its expanded 5G network — but it can only accomplish all of that if its planned merger with Sprint is successful. T-Mobile has big plans for 5G, that’s impossible to argue.
Whether or not it can actually reach those goals is another thing entirely.
But it’s not T-Mobile I want to discuss right now. No, I want to talk about Apple and the fact that some analysts out there are adamant that Apple is going to have a massive year for iPhone in 2020, even if the phone will only go on sale in September. Why? Because of 5G.
There aren’t a lot of rumors regarding the 2020 iPhone lineup just yet, not regarding design or features or anything like that anyway. But one of the constant rumors up to this point is that the new iPhones, and there will probably be three of them again, will boast 5G connectivity. And the hope is that Apple will include support for mmWave technology so the iPhones aren’t crippled right out of the gate.
Some analysts believe that it’s going to be 5G that really draws people to upgrade or buy a new iPhone in 2020. And hey, that’s probably true! They’ve got plenty of data to go on and build their models, painting a pretty clear picture (to them) about what might happen almost a year from now. And it’s hard to argue that 5G isn’t a worthwhile upgrade itself, so people probably do want to jump on board that faster train.
Speaking personally, I’m not sure I’m one of those people. I think 5G is great and all, and, yes, getting websites to load even faster or video to play more smoothly and reliably is fantastic, but I feel like the current 4G LTE service I have is already doing an admirable job of both those things. That’s kind of short-selling 5G as a whole, but, honestly, as a general consumer using the network those are the things that are going to impact me the most.
So I can say that while it’s probably safe to say I’ll be getting a new iPhone late in 2020, the primary reason behind that purchase will definitely not be 5G.
Which is what I want to hear from you, iPhone owners. If you are planning on upgrading your smartphone next year, is the inclusion of 5G connectivity something that’s actually driving that upgrade potential? Or would that just be some nice icing on the iPhone cake, and not necessarily a make-or-break feature for you? Let me know!