Kuo: All 5G iPhones on Track to Launch in Fall 2020, Including Both Sub-6GHz and mmWave Models

Last month, reputable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said he expected four 5G-enabled iPhones to launch in the second half of 2020, including models with both sub-6GHz and mmWave support depending on the region.

fouriphones2020
Kuo said iPhone models with mmWave would be available in five markets, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and the United Kingdom, adding that Apple may disable 5G functionality in countries that do not offer 5G service or have a shallow 5G penetration rate to reduce production costs.

Kuo has now doubled down on his prediction. In a follow-up research note today, viewed by MacRumors, he said Apple is still on track to release both sub-6GHz and sub-6GHz-plus-mmWave iPhone models simultaneously in the second half of 2020, with shipments beginning in the late third quarter or early fourth quarter.

Last week, analyst Mehdi Hosseini had disagreed with Kuo's timeframe, claiming that sub-6GHz models would launch in September 2020 and mmWave models would follow in December 2020 or January 2021.

Kuo says development of 5G iPhones with both sub-6GHz and mmWave support is progressing as scheduled, however, and he has the more reputable track record as it relates to forecasting Apple's roadmap. So, as of now, it looks like the entire 5G iPhone lineup will be announced in September as usual.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...

Top Rated Comments

Agent OrangeZ Avatar
77 months ago
Oh my gawd man! why do people insist that they want USB-C on the iPhone? Lightning is a better, more durable connector!
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Dee Avatar
77 months ago
My X seems to do just fine and connect to WiFi most of the time, so this is not gonna make much a difference. Besides, how much faster can you post a reply on Macrumors?
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Red Oak Avatar
77 months ago
5G is over-hyped. It will take years still before there is widespread coverage with material speed increases. You literally need to be within 100 yards line of site of a tower to see the advertised speeds. Anything in the way of that (eg a tree, a wall, in your car, etc...) will dramatically slow it down

The T-Mobile rollout is especially a joke
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
827538 Avatar
77 months ago
“Apple may disable sub-6GHz functionality in countries that do not offer 5G service or have a shallow 5G penetration rate to reduce production costs.”

Shouldn't this be disable mm-wave 5G? Standard sub 6GHz 5G is the pretty run of the mill updates to LTE using normal antennas. It’s the high frequency mm-wave that’s the difficult and expensive part (and also pretty useless).


If they have USB-C, fix the atrocious Mail app, and at least reduce the notch, I might, MIGHT be tempted back.

Then again, it also depends on what Samsung does between now and then as well.

Given that I'm not invested in wearables or an ecosystem (too much, I have 3 Macs and LOVE macOS), Sammy gives me the best single-device-in-my-pocket experience. I can't stand to use my wife's iPhone (although I've been getting trained up...quite unintuitive OS it has become).
What’s wrong with the Mail app? I use it for 5 different accounts without issue.

I tried out a friends Samsung Galaxy recently and it felt like the most kludged together scattergun approach. I love the slick, vertically integrated approach of iPhone’s so I am of the opposite opinion. Everything from airdrop, to hand off and integrated personal hotspot with my Mac just works.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GoodWheaties Avatar
77 months ago

Based on what?

USB-C not only has better transfer speeds.... it’s more efficient at charging devices

USB-C FTW!
Lightning is a much better connector for “iPhones”. Manufacturers have been playing fast and loose with the USB standard to get these crazy charging speeds and now it can be difficult to know what cable will do what. Will this cable charge at 5W, 18W, or 30W? Most of the time it’s just trial and error. With Pixel 4 it won’t even charge with some cables. And don't get me started on USB-C to 3.5mm adapters. With Lightning you know it’s gonna work.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PickUrPoison Avatar
77 months ago

A new Airpods will come with the purchase of iPhone 12 and the people are sick of the terrible notch screen.
iPhone 12 won’t be bundled with airpods, that would add another $100 to the selling price unnecessarily, since many already have them or don’t want them. And relatively few care about the notch or think it’s “terrible” ?

Apple doesn’t care what a couple hundred trolls or members of the Apple hate club think. They’ve sold upwards of a couple hundred million iPhones with the notch; the people have spoken.

The notch, though likely smaller in the coming years, could easily be around for another 5-10 years. Get over it, or get a different phone ?‍♂️
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)