If you thought the leap from 3G to 4G was incredible, the forthcoming rollout of 5G will be nothing short of astounding. The data speeds afforded by 5G are genuinely hard to believe and will undoubtedly impact the way we use our devices in a fundamental way. Now, the good news is that 5G phones will start arriving en masse later this year. The bad news, if you’re an iPhone owner, is that Apple reportedly won’t embrace 5G until 2020.
In the interim, though, Apple reportedly has something cooking for its next-gen iPhone XR. According to a new research report from Barclays (via MacRumors), the next iteration of the iPhone XR will offer improved cellular connectivity thanks to a 4×4 MIMO antenna design.
Incidentally, Apple’s flagship iPhone XS models already support Gigabit LTE speeds and a 4×4 MIMO antenna which is why they’re significantly faster than the iPhone XR. Incidentally, the iPhone XR boasts a 2X2 MIMO antenna design. The chart below illustrates just how much faster data speeds will be thanks to the new antenna design which Apple first introduced this year on its higher-end iPhone models.
A updated chart showing comparison data. pic.twitter.com/OHFzgiaiuf
— SpeedSmart (@SpeedSmart) September 17, 2018
As for other iPhone XR rumors, there are rumblings that the device will likely incorporate improved Face ID performance, support for Wi-Fi 6, and a dual camera scheme similar to what can be found on Apple’s flagship iPhone models. The next-gen iPhone XS Max, meanwhile, will reportedly incorporate a triple-lens camera and, in turn, perhaps a brand new redesign.
As for the iPhone XR, it will be interesting to see if the rumored dual-camera design and improved cellular performance will help boost sales. After all, it’s certainly no secret that iPhone XR sales aren’t quite as high as Apple initially anticipated.
