Nikkei has revealed that all three Apple phones will support 5G networks next year thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 5G modem. This modem will reportedly work in conjunction with Apple's new SoC, which will likely be called the A14 Bionic. The chip will be the first among Apple solutions manufactured in compliance with 5nm standards.
In general, moving to thinner manufacturing processes tends to make the chips more energy efficient or allows more processing power. But the main advantage is the ability to place a significantly larger number of transistors on the same area. The A14 will most likely be produced by TSMC - the Taiwanese company has already begun risky 5nm production with widespread use of deep ultraviolet (N5) lithography, and is going to start mass production in the first half of 2020. Just in time for the traditional September iPhone launch.
This isn't the first time we've been told that Apple is going to aggressively push 5G support in 2020, with plans to bring next-gen networks to all of its smartphones. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who is known for his fairly accurate predictions about Apple technology, back in July reported three 2020 iPhones with 5G support. What's new is the exact model of the Qualcomm modem that will be used in future devices, thanks to Apple settling its differences with Snapdragon chip maker. In the longer term, the Cupertino company is expected to move to its own modems, thanks to Intel's modem expertise it acquired in July.
The report also confirms previous rumors that Apple is going to move to 5nm chips next year, leaving the 7nm process a thing of the past. In addition to 5G support and a new processor, next year's iPhone is expected to get a new design for the first time since 2017 and may include an in-screen fingerprint sensor, among other things. In addition to the three flagship devices, Apple may also release a low-cost successor to the iPhone SE in early 2020.
Source: 3dnews.ru