The first 5G smartphones are expected to arrive in 2019, but don't expect Apple to adapt right away. A Fast Company source says Apple intends to use an Intel 5G modem, the 8161, in its 2020 batch of iPhones. Apple is said to be using a precursor 8060 chip for the first prototype, but found "dissipation issues. of heat ”(due to the sheer demand needed for millimeter wave signals) which would raise the temperature and damage battery life. The company is believed to be talking to MediaTek about supplying 5G modems, but only as a backup plan in case Intel falls short.
Apple declined to comment on the news of the Fast Company.
The company's strategy is consistent in not following 5g technology headlong immediately. Although Apple has kept pace with cellular technology in general, it has rarely been at the forefront of major network speed updates. 3G broadcast for the very first iPhone had to wait for the iPhone 5 to go up to LTE. Typically, it's about waiting for the technology to mature. Remember that early LTE phones like the HTC Thunderbolt were often very thick and still had a terrible battery. Apple may not want to rush to be an early adopter, especially when 5G networks have modest coverage for much of 2019.