Faster LTE speeds expected from Apple's 2018 iPhones with upgraded baseband chips from Intel, Qualcomm

While current iPhones are limited to 2x2 MIMO technology, Apple is now rumored to upgrade to 4x4 MIMO for its 2018 iPhone models, offering users the fastest cellular LTE speeds available yet in an iPhone.

According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities, the faster transmission speeds will be made possible because of upgraded baseband chips from Apple suppliers Intel and Qualcomm. Specifically, he said new iPhones set to arrive in the second half of 2018 will feature Intel's XMM 7560 and Qualcomm's SDX20.

In a note to investors on Friday, a copy of which was obtained by AppleInsider, Kuo said he expects that LTE transmission speeds with next year's iPhone lineup will "increase significantly."

Intel is believed to take the lion's share of baseband shipments for late 2018, earning between 70 and 80 percent of orders from Apple, according to Kuo.

Unlike current phones, which commonly support LTE plus 3G connections, the analyst said Apple's next-generation iPhones will support LTE plus LTE connections.

He also believes that Apple eventually wants to "dominate" baseband chip design, building on expertise it has garnered in its own silicon production over the years.

"The entry barriers for baseband chip design are much higher than for application processors, but if Apple can successfully dominate the design of baseband chips, production costs will decline and the iPhone will become much more competitive in the market," he said.

For next year's iPhone lineup, Kuo believes that Apple's flagship model will be a 6.5-inch "iPhone X Plus," taking the edge-to-edge OLED display on the current iPhone X and applying it to the general physical form factor of Apple's current Plus-sized phones.

Because OLED technology remains expensive, and because Apple is apparently looking to adopt Face ID across its entire product lineup, he also believes Apple is working on a 6.1-inch LCD model, which would feature slimmer bezels — but not an edge-to-edge display — thanks to the elimination of the home button. He sees this 6.1-inch model being a low-end alternative to the next-generation iPhone X and so-called "iPhone X Plus."

At present, the iPhone 8 boasts a 4.7-inch screen, the iPhone 8 Plus is 5.5 inches, and the OLED iPhone X has a 5.8-inch screen.

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18 Comments

[Deleted User] 8 Years · 0 comments

About 7 years ago

News like this is extremely frustrating and I guess rather pointless considering pretty much every year Apple releases an iPhone claims faster LTE modem speeds . Why it’s frustrating is because as the capabilities get faster network congestion and networks failure to upgrade their infrastructure continues to make LTE speeds get slower. As I said in a separate post somewhere I am on AT&T in Orlando and the LTE speeds have gotten nothing but slower since via my phone even though I have upgraded from the original LTE iPhone that I owned

wood1208 11 Years · 2942 comments

Doesn't matter if phone has Gig+ speed chip inside. Boils down to Cellular network support of that speed and most importantly network bandwidth deployed everywhere to handle for every connection. While plenty will buy OLED 6+" iPhones, hope Apple offers verious form factors LCD version of iPhones with FaceID at better price point.

avon b7 21 Years · 8103 comments

wood1208 said:

Doesn't matter if phone has Gig+ speed chip inside. Boils down to Cellular network support of that speed and most importantly network bandwidth deployed everywhere to handle for every connection. While plenty will buy OLED 6+" iPhones, hope Apple offers verious form factors LCD version of iPhones with FaceID at better price point.

The point is very valid but depends on where you are, how you are served and carrier roll out.

Many carriers are being offered LTE upgrades as a cost effective transitional move before the 5G roll out. 4.5G will happen before 5G but phones will also need more antennas as well as faster modems. In that regard, there is a case for having the technology if it's available on your phone just in case your carrier upgrades your local backbone infrastructure or you have access to it while on the move. There are also pluses for data and voice connection stability via better cell tower handovers etc. These are areas that often get overlooked.

Apart from that, Apple needs to keep abreast of what competitors will be offering next September and with what some are already offering now.https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/uk/news-press/press-room/press-releases-detailpages/rohde-schwarz-and-huawei-kirin-970-demonstrate-1.2-gbps-press_releases_detailpage_229356-478146.html

If, for example, you happen to be a frequent high speed train traveller you will see the benefits immediately. Also, the ability to 'cling onto a connection' in difficult circumstances (tunnels for example) normally improves from one generation to the next.

1 Like · 0 Dislikes

cali 11 Years · 3494 comments

Yeah Apple needs to provide it’s own carrier service. Solve so many problems.

gregg thurman 17 Years · 456 comments

wood1208 said:

Doesn't matter if phone has Gig+ speed chip inside. Boils down to Cellular network support of that speed and most importantly network bandwidth deployed everywhere to handle for every connection.

Full deployment of 5G LTE isn't scheduled to happen until 2020. Shipping iPhones capable of utilizing the faster Gigabit protocol before then only makes sense if Apple doesn't want to offer a compelling reason to upgrade in September 2020. I say September 2020 because full deployment of 5G probably won't occur until 2021 no matter what the telcos say today. Telcos just don't move that fast. Besides a 5G standard hasn't even been established yet.

I would be pleasantly surprised if telcos actually did fully deploy 5G in 2020.