The entire iPhone 12 lineup launched last year supports sub-6GHz 5G while the much superior mmWave is restricted to US models. A supply chain report hints at mmWave 5G iPhones in more countries later this year.

One might be wondering why Apple restricted mmWave 5G iPhones to the US. It seems like the company wanted to save money by opting for sub-6GHz 5G. In some countries like India iPhone attracts a huge custom duty and is priced much higher than the U.S. Perhaps Apple decided to keep the prices down in non-U.S markets by excluding mmWave.

Today, a supply chain report out of Taiwan reveals that a company called Qiqi is in the process of receiving a large order for millimeter wave antennas for the iPhone 13 which could be signaling the expansion of this technology to more iPhone models in the US this year. Apple is also working with foreign telecom companies in the hopes of eventually expanding millimeter-wave antennas to iPhones globally over the next few years.

The large order of millimeter-wave antennas for the new iPhone 13 series is the first time a Taiwanese manufacturer has supplied Apple’s antenna-related items that are critical to the quality of iPhone reception.

Wistron Scores a Win

Apple put Wistron on probation after its facility in India was ransacked by angry workers. As of now, it seems like a classic case of middlemen stealing workers’ wages. Now the good news is that Wistron had recently invested in Qiqi and the same company has entered the iPhone supply chain with mmWave antennas. We are not sure if this is a mere coincidence or Apple trying to pacify Wistron by passing on the order to Qiqi.

The bottom line is iPhone 13 could support mmWave in more regions and this also means that prices may go up too.