iPhone 13 Lineup May Get Support for Wi-Fi 6E [Report]

Apple’s next generation ‘iPhone 13’ lineup may get support for Wi-Fi 6E, according to a Barclay’s investor note from analysts Blayne Curtis, Thomas O’Malley, Tim Long, and their associates.

The move to support Wi-Fi 6E could provide an opportunity for radio-frequency chipmaker Skyworks. Wi-Fi 6E devices offer the features and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 – including higher performance, lower latency, and faster data rates – extended into the 6 GHz band.

The Wi-Fi Alliance says this about 6GHz:

6 GHz addresses Wi-Fi spectrum shortage by providing contiguous spectrum blocks to accommodate 14 additional 80 MHz channels and 7 additional 160 MHz channels which are needed for high-bandwidth applications that require faster data throughput such as high-definition video streaming and virtual reality. Wi-Fi 6E devices will leverage wider channels and additional capacity to deliver greater network performance and support more Wi-Fi users at once, even in very dense and congested environments. Wi-Fi Alliance is working on the development of interoperability testing for Wi-Fi 6E that will deliver benefits to Wi-Fi users once the spectrum is available.

“Wi-Fi has changed the world, and we are excited to work with Wi-Fi Alliance to ensure Wi-Fi will continue changing the world. Wi-Fi 6’s growth into the 6 GHz spectrum is a game changer for two reasons – the availability of the additional channels and the ability to finally use 160Mhz for high bandwidth applications like AR and VR; this provides enormous opportunities to build new applications and experiences for both consumers and businesses. By standardizing on Wi-Fi 6E, Cisco Meraki and others in the industry can begin delivering next-generation wireless experiences to customers.” – Jayanthi Srinivasan, Director of Product Management, Cisco Meraki

Both the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 already support Wi-Fi 6 so an update to include support for Wi-Fi 6E seems plausible.

Barclays also said that Cirrus Logic will supply a new power conversion chip for at least some iPhone 13 models and indicated that Apple has no plans to refresh the iPhone SE in the foreseeable future. There have been rumored of an iPhone SE with a larger display; however, that was not mentioned in any discussions with Apple suppliers.

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