Apple is following its rivals' footsteps next year if Ming-Chi Kuo's latest note is to be believed. Not only will the Cupertino-based company pack the 2018 iPhones with Gigabit LTE support, the famed KGI analyst, who has regularly predicted Apple's activity correctly, says it will likely include support for dual-SIM, too.
The iPhone maker sat on the sidelines this year when it comes to Gigabit LTE, resulting in the iPhone 8 and iPhone X's lower LTE transmission speeds. Currently, both devices max out at 600 megabits per second, which is fast, but not nearly as fast as what their Android competitors can hit.
The Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, HTC U11, and LG V30, which support Gigabit LTE, all boast the ability to reach a theoretical peak speed of 1 GB per second. That is the highest speed to date offered by internet service providers, fast enough for users to download a two-hour film in just 15 seconds. However, the iPhone should be capable of such as well beginning next year.
In Kuo's latest research note, he said the 2018 iPhone models will catch up by housing Intel's XMM 7560 and Qualcomm's Snapdragon X20 modems. These antenna modules will support 4x4 MIMO instead of the current 2x2, similar to Qualcomm's latest modems in chips like the Snapdragon 835.
"We believe LTE transmission speeds will increase significantly," Kuo added. "We believe Intel will supply Apple with 70-80% or more of required baseband chips."
He also predicted that the 2018 models will have Dual-SIM Dual Standby (DSDS), which allows two SIM cards to be active simultaneously using only one set of chips. However, unlike most existing phones that only support LTE+3G connections, the new iPhones will reportedly be capable of supporting LTE+LTE connections to enhance user experience. It has not been specified, though, if this will be applied to all 2018 iPhones and if they would also have a dual SIM card slot.
None of this information is confirmed yet, so it is best to be taken with a grain of salt. However, it is worth noting that Kuo has a proven track record for accurately predicting Apple products and plans. For multiple years, he has provided reliable information long before earning him titles such as "The Most Accurate Apple Analyst in the World" and "The Analyst Who Reveals all of Apple's Secrets."
