Is the iPhone 11 5G Compatible?

Apple has just announced its latest range of iPhones to the world at a live streaming event that took place on 10th September. With the announcement, Apple unveiled a whole host of new tech and devices. This included the iPhone 11 which is the cheapest of the new iPhones, but will it be 5G compatible? 

What is 5G?

5G is the latest innovation coming to mobile networks. This brings with it superfast mobile internet access. The increased speeds are a big jump from those available on 4G and will potentially even rival speeds that you can get with a home fibre broadband connection. The network is still being rolled out across the UK but is expected to be in most cities by the end of 2019.

The iPhone 11 and 5G

So with Apple\’s new devices, they made no mention of 5G and there is a very good reason for this. The new iPhones are not yet 5G ready. They do feature state of the art 4G chips and this means that you will still get great access to any already fast 4G network. But so far there is no news about 5G.

Why Have They Done This?

Well, there are two schools of thought as to why Apple hasn\’t gone the 5G route yet. The first is that the 5G network is simply too new. The coverage for the network isn\’t that wide-spread yet, certainly not compared to 4G. 4G networks have great coverage across most of the country and so targeting the device to 4G means that it will appeal to a wide range of users who currently don\’t have access to 5G networks. Particularly those that are down the schedule to receive 5G.

What Else?

The other possibility is that Apple\’s 5G chips just aren\’t ready yet and that they will want to release another model of iPhone that is 5G enabled further down the line. Given that for most people the life cycle of their devices is around two years, then this could be a gamble on Apple\’s part. People buying the new iPhone 11s are not going to be the early adopters that want the latest innovations that are coming out. Apple could just be hoping to sell them another new iPhone, or an upgrade in 6-12 months so that they will have 5G then.

Will it Work?

The mobile phone industry is a fast-moving place, and whether Apple\’s gamble will pay off or not we are yet to find out. Whilst Apple were the innovators when it comes to smartphones they have tended to go for a slightly different market. Those that want quality rather than new tech. This means that they are not always the first to market with new features on their devices. This does mean though that when they do it they do it right. Whether Apple goes for a mid-cycle refresh with 5G models in about 6 months or waits for the iPhone 12 which would be this time next year remains to be seen.