Leaks and rumours about the iPhone 13 have been trickling out throughout the winter, and now some new info suggests that Apple could give its next batch of iPhones a big boost in wireless speeds thanks to added support for Wi-Fi 6e.
According to a recent report from DigiTimes (via Apple Insider), it seems a handful of suppliers including Win Semiconductors, Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company, and Visual Photonics Epitaxy Comp are poised for big gains due to demand from Apple for components related to Wi-Fi 6e.
Wi-Fi 6e is the latest and most advanced wifi spec and was officially approved by the Wi-Fi Alliance back in 2020. Unlike previous Wi-Fi standards that run on 2.5Ghz or 5Ghz bands, Wi-Fi 6e utilises the relatively uncongested 6GHz band to deliver max data speeds as high as 9.6 Gbps. (That said, it’s important to remember that your home wifi speeds will still be largely limited by the level of service you are getting from your ISP.)
By adding support for Wi-Fi 6e to the iPhone 13, Apple would be following similar moves made by rivals like Samsung, who included Wi-Fi 6e on the Galaxy S21 line earlier this year.
While Wi-Fi 6e routers (which you’ll need to truly take advantage of the specs’ top speeds) are still quite expensive, by adding support for Wi-Fi 6e to the iPhone 13, Apple could help push wider adoption for the latest Wi-Fi standard, which should help bring the prices of Wi-Fi 6e routers and accessories down in the future.
In addition to Wi-Fi 6e, other improvements coming on the iPhone 13 are rumoured to include bigger batteries, 120Hz refresh rates, a smaller notch for Face ID, improved cameras, and more. And with all these features, it seems Apple has gotten pretty bullish regarding potential sales for the iPhone 13 family, because according to Bloomberg, Apple has asked its suppliers to produce 90 million next-gen iPhones in 2021, which represents a 20% increase from the 75 million units produced in 2020.
With Apple set to launch a new line of iPhones later this spring, unless you desperately need to replace your handset right now, it would be a good idea to hold off on buying anything until Apple officially reveals all the new specs and features coming in the iPhone 13.