U.S. carriers will begin rolling out support for Gigabit LTE this year as they move to rolling out 5G networks, and phones like the Galaxy S8 are “future-proof” with support for the new tech. Intel won’t offer Gigabit LTE in its chips until next year, CNET said, which is where the problem lies. (Intel declined to comment.)
Apple uses its own processors in the iPhone but will almost certainly purchase modems from both Qualcomm and Intel, as it typically does. If this is the case, Apple may have some modems from Qualcomm that are capable of supporting Gigabit LTE — and others from Intel that are not. Several scenarios could play out if that happens.
Apple could launch a new iPhone with modems from Intel and Qualcomm that don’t support Gigabit LTE at all. Or it could launch smartphones with modems from Intel that don’t support Gigabit LTE and modems from Qualcomm that do, but sandbag the Qualcomm modems to keep everything even. It might also decide to keep the Qualcomm chips for launch in the U.S., as CNET suggests, and deploy Intel chips in international markets where Gigabit LTE isn’t ready to launch yet.
Finally, and here’s just a shot-in-the-dark scenario, Apple could reserve the Gigabit LTE modems from Qualcomm for the rumored iPhone 8 and leave 4G LTE modems in the rumored iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus. Customers who want to pay for the added speeds could simply buy the more premium smartphone.
Gigabit LTE is expected to start hitting only some cities this year, so it might not seem necessary for consumers to buy smartphones with Gigabit LTE support just yet. If you’re planning to keep it for a few years, however, Gigabit LTE is definitely something you’ll want to make sure your new smartphone supports.
Watch: iPhone 7 Plus beats Galaxy S8 in new tests
