New Tech Shout

Apple A14X

The latest batch of Apple-related rumors is in and it's all about iPads. It turns out that Apple is launching an iPad Pro 5G version with an Apple A14X CPU inside this year. The information comes from DigiTimes, which is well connected to the supply chain.

Rumors also talked about Apple getting 5G to iPhones this year, so why not iPads? We've already got a 5G tablet out there, so the Tab S6 5G and Huawei's MatePad Pro 5G will be dropped soon. I bet that Lenovo and Microsoft, with their own 5G slates, are not far behind. The upcoming iPads with 5G are likely to be able to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 modem. One important thing to mention is that Digitimes doesn't always get it right and we're somewhat uncertain about their data, as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that 5G iPads would only arrive in 2021.

The Huawei scandal is a little shaken by the 5G coverage, with large parts of Europe stuck in the limbo of its implementation. The United States is also behind schedule and, essentially, only South Korea is doing well, China also has its 5G covered areas, Switzerland and parts of the United Kingdom. There are rumors that we could see the iPad's long-running triple-camera square module as soon as the iPhone 9 drops out in March. I feel that the 5G iPads are coming in October, if they come in.

We've also heard that new Apple slates will focus on AR features and retain the USB-C ports of the predecessors. There's also a rumor that Apple wants to build its own iPhones 2020 5G antenna, so why not iPad? Of course, we're talking about the configuration of the antenna, not the actual output of the components.

Apple 5G iPad Pro

We've heard that Apple was planning a 5 G ipad multiple times, which could even make its debut before an iPhone5G. It will definitely be an iPad Pro 5 G edition and we are now learning more about it. The device will provide support for 5 G millimeter wave technology, it turns out.

And essentially 5 G networks depend on two frequency bands according to the 3GPP authority: FR1 and FR2. The first one has a spectrum of 450 MHz and 6 GHz, also known as the sub-6 GHz band, whereas the FR2 frequency range is 24.25 GHz–52.6 GHz. That one is called mmWave (mmWave). The former is expected to continue traveling and deliver better rural and suburban coverage, but with slower speeds too.

In urban areas the mmWave one is stronger, providing wide bandwidth and high speeds. Apple appears to have opted for the second version. There is a source that cites Taiwan's advanced division of the semiconductor industry, saying they will provide antenna packaging technology for the 5 G iPads and 5 G iPhones. Although 5 G iPhones are pretty much expected this fall, we've just not got a timetable for 5 G iPad Pros yet. One would think it will come in October but it could be postponed until the worst case in Spring 2021.

We've also learned that the new iPad Pro would come in a square package with a triple camera borrowed from the iPhone 11 Pro and an additional sensor for AR functions. An Apple A14X is supposed to be inside, giving it power close to that of MacBook. I'm wondering how to tackle the imminent 5 G / battery woes.