Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about the iPhone 11. Photo / AP
Apple CEO Tim Cook talks about the iPhone 11. Photo / AP
Tech giant Apple unveiled three new iPhone models at its glitzy headquarters in California on Wednesday promising faster performance, increased battery life and revolutionary camera technology.
But industry experts warn the new series is missing a key component arch rivals Samsung and LG's models aren't: 5G.
The next generation mobile network has already started being rolled out in Australian capital cities and it's expected most parts of the country will have higher speed access in the next couple of years.
Poor connectivity is a common bugbear for local mobile users, and anyone who signs up for a contract with this latest iPhone will have inferior speeds compared to others with access to 5G.
It's an omission comparison site Finder's money expert, Angus Kidman, says is disappointing considering the hefty price tags — iPhone 11 will set you back $1349, iPhone 11 Pro $1949, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max will cost $2149.
"People always want their phone to be faster because we've rapidly gone from just making calls to watching video," Kidman told news.com.au.
"We want high speed connection and I think there's an expectation that if you're going to pay $1900 for a phone then you should get premium service from it and, in network terms, that's not going to be the case."
Although 4G speeds are usually fast enough to download songs or stream video content, the older network commonly fails in crowded areas such as sporting events or concerts — a problem 5G promises to address.
In the past, Aussies have usually upgraded their phones once their two-year contract was up but research from Finder shows consumers are now holding on to their devices for more than three years.
"I'd be saying to anyone buying a new phone now make sure you get something that's 5G capable because it's going to give you better functionality for longer," Kidman said.
"Samsung was probably the first major brand to come out with 5G, there are some LG models out there as well.
"At the moment very few people have a 5G phone but the expectation is that the next premium device you buy, you'd want 5G built into it."
In speed terms, Kidman said there was very little difference between this model and Apple's last model.
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But EFTM tech commentator Trevor Long said 5G is still a limited network in Australia and the promise of next generation speeds would be problematic for the tech giant. The network rollout is still in its early stages, and even in the nation's most populated city, only a handful of suburbs have coverage.
"It feels like that would be something Apple would want to avoid. They don't want a disappointed customer buying a phone with a feature they simply can't use," Long told news.com.au.
"It needs to mature more, we need to wait another year before 5G is getting a little better and that's when it would make sense to have a 5G phone."
100 times faster than 4G
5G has the same high level architecture as previous cellular networks, but the intricate details are very different.
In very simple terms, a cellular mobile network consists of three components: mobile devices, a radio access network and a core network.
The mobile device might be a smart phone, tablet, or a computer with a USB dongle, but could also be a low-cost sensor with a simple transmitter.
With 5G predicted to offer speeds as high as 10 gigabits per second, the service will be up to 100 times faster than the current 4G network and also faster than pre-existing broadband.
