Apple Preparing for Expansion of mmWave iPhone 13 Models This Fall - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Apple Preparing for Expansion of mmWave iPhone 13 Models This Fall

Ahead of what is expected to be a busy fall season with multiple new product launches, Apple is enlisting additional suppliers of mmWave antennas for the iPhone 13, according to a new report from DigiTimes.

iphone 5g mmwave
5G mmWave technology debuted in the iPhone 12, and compared to traditional sub-6Ghz, mmWave offers significantly faster speeds but is limited in distance. Currently, mmWave iPhone 12 models are only available in the United States, but this fall, Apple is planning a larger expansion of mmWave iPhones to more countries worldwide.

mmWave technology has increased in adoption in cities; however, with the iPhone 13 expanding the technology to more customers, it may push countries to adopt mmWave infrastructure faster. DigiTimes reports that Apple is planning to boost the ratio of 5G mmWave iPhones to as many as to 60% of its 2021 iPhone lineup, with shipments reaching 90 million units.

Apple is expected to sharply boost the ratio of 5G mmWave devices to 60% of its new iPhone lineup in 2021, with such models estimated to approach 90 million units, the sources said, adding that each mmWave iPhone will require four AiP modules, significantly driving up demand for AiP substrates.

The iPhone 13, expected to be announced between September and October, is rumored to include other significant features such as an improved display, improved cameras, and faster performance. Learn more about everything we're expecting using our guide.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Card iPhone 16 Pro Feature

Apple Card Promo to Offer Free AirPods Pro 3

Friday May 15, 2026 8:59 am PDT by
Starting as early as next week, customers who sign up for an Apple Card at Apple's retail stores in the U.S. will receive $249 cash back when they purchase AirPods Pro 3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The promotion has yet to be officially announced by Apple, so exact terms and conditions are not available at this time. AirPods Pro 3 are priced at $249 in the U.S., so customers who...
Apple WWDC25 iOS 26 CarPlay Light mode 250609

Six Popular iPhone Apps Now Available on CarPlay

Thursday May 14, 2026 9:10 am PDT by
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack. Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay. ChatGPT Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
ipad mini 7 blue

OLED iPad Mini: Release Date, Pricing, and What to Expect

Thursday May 14, 2026 5:08 am PDT by
According to the latest rumors, Apple is close to launching its next-generation iPad mini. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released over a year ago? Read on to find out. Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code...

Top Rated Comments

ericwn Avatar
64 months ago
No thanks. mmWave is akin to putting a microwave in my front pocket.

5G Radiation Dangers - 11 Reasons To Be Concerned _ ElectricSense.pdf ('https://ecfsapi.fcc.gov/file/1053072081009/5G%20Radiation%20Dangers%20-%2011%20Reasons%20To%20Be%20Concerned%20_%20ElectricSense.pdf')

A little too close to the family jewels for comfort.
Sure, the forums are littered with folks who fried themselves. [emoji23]

To top that, attach a random pdf and point to some research from 1994 to warn us that NOW 5G would be a hazard to our eyes. Priceless FUD.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericwn Avatar
64 months ago
Did you even look at the URL for the source of the document? Apparently not.

Original source document

https://www.electricsense.com/5g-radiation-dangers/
I looked at the pdf you provided to your point which was so amateurishly bad that further FUD then 1994 articles were no longer needed. Given that’s originating from that site, I rest my case and am back to the doctor for new eyes with a an ice pack on my family parts while at it.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
64 months ago

Thinking deeply on this, Apple is likely to call this iPhone 12s not only due to the fact that it will externally be the same, but also the number 13 carries too much superstition.
Not only that, but 13 is a number used by street gangs aligned with the Mexican Mafia (M is 13th letter of alphabet), and Salvadoran gangs like MS-13. Don't want to attract them.


well, they could call it iPhone 14 and bring Touch ID and all that I read for next year's iPhone
Apple will have to skip 14 too because 14 is a number used by Nuestra Familia gang members (N is 14th letter of alphabet) in Northern California. Don't want huge groups of them lining up outside Apple stores during release day.

Best if Apple just skips the numbers altogether. Just call it iPhone. I mean, Macs don't have numbers associated with them. We don't have MacBook Pro 1, MacBook Pro 2, etc.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Populus Avatar
64 months ago
It would be great if they gave us the option of getting the mmWave antena at the moment of purchase...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
64 months ago
still looking for 5G's killer app (apart from home broadband)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ericwn Avatar
64 months ago
Thinking deeply on this, Apple is likely to call this iPhone 12s not only due to the fact that it will externally be the same, but also the number 13 carries too much superstition. They likely could have gotten away with it prepandemic, but considering a lot of countries where Apple sells phones don’t like that number, not a lot of people will want to carry around a phone name ‘iPhone 13’ for years, Apple will likely skip. They skipped 9 too.
I don’t think apple starts to be concerned what some old nannies think about numbers. We already had products with the number 13 in it and let’s not forget number 6 didn’t break the company either.

I bet they skipped 9 purely for marketing purposes to further distance the flagship X (new naming system applied there simultaneously) to the older 8 series.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)