Mystery Patch on Edge of iPhone 12 is a mmWave 5G Antenna Exclusive to U.S. Models - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Mystery Patch on Edge of iPhone 12 is a mmWave 5G Antenna Exclusive to U.S. Models

We've been getting a number of questions from readers about a mysterious "patch" on the edge of all of the iPhone 12 models introduced today. The patch is unlabeled on Apple's specs page, but The Verge has confirmed that it is a window for the mmWave 5G antenna.

iphone 12 antenna window
mmWave 5G support is only included on U.S. models of the iPhone 12 lineup, and thus the window is only present on those devices, as seen in images shared on Apple's pages for various countries.

iphone 12 mmwave comparison

Side-by-side comparison showing U.S. phones with the antenna window and international phones without (via Apple and The Verge)

The mystery patch was first seen in leaked schematics dating back many months, and was initially speculated to potentially be a Smart Connector or docking site for a small Apple Pencil, given its similar appearance to the magnetic ‌Apple Pencil‌ attachment site on iPad Pro models. That speculation was, however, quickly dispelled as new rumors indicated it was for a 5G antenna.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 27 Next to iPhone

Here's When iOS 27 Rolls Out Today in Every Time Zone [Update: It's Out]

Sunday September 13, 2026 3:00 am PDT by
Update 10:04 a.m.: iOS 27 is rolling out now, though it may take a bit for all users to see it, so keep checking! Apple is about to release iOS 27, which will finally deliver more advanced Siri AI capabilities as well as a variety of other refinements, improvements, and new features to iPhones. It's Apple's biggest software update of the year, and Apple announced at Wednesday's iPhone event...
iOS 27 Icon iPhone

iOS 27 Available Now With These 8 New Features

Monday September 14, 2026 9:00 am PDT by
Update — 10 a.m. Pacific Time: Apple has released iOS 27. During its iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo event last week, Apple announced that iOS 27 will be released widely on Monday, September 14. iOS 27 should be available around 10 a.m. Pacific Time / 1 p.m. Eastern Time today via the Settings app, under General → Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight new features and...
deep black iphone 18 pro

Apple Says iPhone 18 Pro Max Sold in U.S. Differs in One Way

Saturday September 12, 2026 3:27 pm PDT by
As noted by Nicolas Lellouche, who writes for the French tech website Numerama, Apple has updated its tech specs pages for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max to clarify which models are equipped with its new C2 cellular modem and where. Apple now says the iPhone 18 Pro has a C2 modem worldwide, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses the chip in every country except for the U.S. According...

Top Rated Comments

AstroBackpacker Avatar
77 months ago
It should have been a fingerprint reader like the new iPad. :(
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
77 months ago
Rest of the world: pay more for less.
That's taking care of costumers.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JimmyBanks6 Avatar
77 months ago
So what’s the technical reason this is USA only, and why aren’t non-USA phones $50 cheaper since they don’t need the mmWave modem.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
77 months ago
inb4 youtubers make Antennagate test videos by covering up that patch with their hand.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twistedpixel8 Avatar
77 months ago

It should have been a fingerprint reader like the new iPad. :(
Yep, that’s why I’m skipping iPhone 12. Maybe TouchID will make a return next year. As good as FaceID is, I really miss it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
twocents Avatar
77 months ago
I noticed this and thought it was some new SIM card tray. Thanks for researching, now to figure out how Lisa Jackson got on the roof of HQ 🤔
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)