Apple's next-generation flagship smartphone is expected to launch on Sept. 2020. With the imminent release of one of the most awaited smartphones, leaks and rumors are starting to flood online. The latest claims that the iPhone 12 would sport this game-changing feature that could have massive implications in Apple's future devices.
Short-Range WiFi Connectivity
The latest report about the iPhone 12 series comes from the Japanese blog site Mac Otakara. It is the same site that leaked the 3D renders of all the alleged models of the iPhone 12 series. According to the site, the upcoming flagship iPhone from Apple would be equipped with a new short-range WIFi connectivity standard.
This connectivity is known as the 802.11ay WiFi standard. It utilizes a faster 60 GHz millimeter wave spectrum in place of the current 2.5 GHz and 5GHz bands found in most WiFi. The 802.11ay is believed to offer high bandwidth data transfers.
Other reports claim that the 802.11ay could function in the same way that the Bluetooth does but with significantly faster transfer speeds in terms of data. If this is accurate, it would significantly improve AirDrop transfers between compatible iPhone models. But, it looks like this ultra short-range WiFi standard has several drawbacks too.
The 802.11ay struggles moving through solid structures like furniture and walls, according to Ars Tecnica. In other words, it is an ideal connection for making transfers to a compatible device within the same room. But, it could be a crucial addition that Apple could use in introducing improved Augmented Reality to its iPhone and other upcoming devices.
Other Details
Qualcomm is hard at work in bringing this kind of standard to mobile devices. In 2018, the company announced a new mobile SoC that could support the 802.11ay. During the announcement, the company said that this kind of WiFi standard could provide low-latency and fast connections over short distances. This could be very useful; especially in-game streaming Augmented Reality and Virtual reality, as well as location detection.
Apple CEO Tim Cook over the past months has been repeatedly quoted on his excitement towards augmented reality. It is anticipated that Apple is planning to release products with AR functionality, particularly the upcoming iPhone 12. AR could help iPhone 12 models provide depth-sensing cameras that could offer improved real-world scanning.
With 802.11ay on iPhone 12, we could expect that these flagship smartphone models could offer wide augmented reality and virtual reality applications. It is worth noting, however, that this information is not yet official. We recommend taking it with a good measure of salt.
