It’s safe to say 2020 has been a garbage year for human beings, but it’s been a fruitful one for new phones, cameras and gaming consoles. It’s only September and a slew of new products have launched or been announced, including the upcoming Xbox Series X and PS5, the new Sony A7S iii mirrorless camera and the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. As we start “Techtember” the most anticipated release is the next iPhone which is rumored to be called the iPhone 12.
Leaks and rumors point to a slew of new features for the next Apple phone including a high refresh rate display, more sizes and lidar. But the most significant addition won’t be the cameras or the expected A14 processor. It’ll be the support for 5G.
By contrast, the current state of 5G in the US is a mix of hype, hope and whatever the opposite of harmony is. Depending on the carrier, 5G comes in a variety of frequencies, some that offer truly mind-bending speeds but lack the reach to connect to your phone all the time. Other frequencies have a long reach and stable connectivity but offer speeds that aren’t much faster than 4G LTE. Some parts of the US have 5G networks from all three major US carriers, others have absolutely zero coverage.
