5G: iPhone 12, a smartphone eagerly awaited by telecom operators

Apple will lift the veil this Tuesday on its new iPhone 12. It should be compatible with 5G networks. This could give a boost to subscriptions dedicated to this new technology around the world.

Apple took its time. It's been over a year since its big rivals Samsung and Apple unsheathed their first 5G devices. The Apple brand has refused to mark them in the pants and immediately releases a smartphone-compatible with the new generation of mobile communication. No question of hurrying. Especially since at the time, 5G networks were still largely embryonic in developed countries. But the situation has changed. The 5G deployment project has been launched across the globe. This is especially true in the United States and China, which are waging a fierce battle for good population coverage as soon as possible. Consumers take out their first subscriptions. According to figures from Swedish telecom equipment manufacturer Ericsson, the Middle Kingdom, already has 150 million 5G subscribers. South Korea has 8 million. According to Ericsson, France, which has just allocated new frequencies to operators, could have 3.5 million subscribers to 5G within a year.

In this context, Apple should present, this Tuesday evening, its first 5G compatible terminal, during an event called "Hi, Speed" ("Hello, speed"). This will be the iPhone 12, of which four versions, with different screens and performance, are planned, if we are to believe the latest leaks on social networks. For operators who are deploying 5G and launching their first commercial networks, it is of course important to be able to count on the reference smartphones of the Apple brand to sell new subscriptions. Apple remains the third seller of terminals on the planet behind Huawei and Samsung. The iPhone 12 is timely, as it will likely come to the market before Christmas, which is always an important time for subscription sales. Some Apple customers may want to take the opportunity to change terminal ... and plan. In France, Orange does not intend to miss this opportunity. This is the reason why the operator has already lifted the veil on its new 5G packages.

It is, not surprisingly, in China that the iPhone 12 is particularly expected. "China remains a key ingredient in the success of Apple's recipe," said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities. Because according to him, "20% of terminal replacements will come from this region next year". In the United States, the situation is different. Uncle Sam's country has lagged behind the Middle Kingdom in deploying 5G. But operators are now working hard to install 5G antennas across the country. They therefore need terminals - including those from Apple - to gain subscribers to their new networks and make their investments profitable. According to Patrick Moorhead, of Moor Insights & Strategy, American operators "are waiting for the iPhone with 5G to step on the accelerator".

With its iPhone 12, Apple hopes to take full advantage of the setbacks of Huawei, undermined by US sanctions. According to Dan Ives, Tim Cook's firm could sell more than 75 million devices. The analyst estimates that more than a third of the 950 million iPhones in circulation in the world, or 350 million terminals, are likely to be replaced by a more recent model in the coming months.

Follow us on Google News