MacRumors

Apple's upcoming 2019 iPhones could feature support for Wi-Fi 6, Barclays analyst Blaine Curtis said today in a CES wrap-up report.

Wi-Fi 6, otherwise known as 802.11ax, is the next-generation Wi-Fi standard following 802.11ac.

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The new standard brings higher data rates, increased capacity, better performance in dense environments like concerts and sporting events, and improved power efficiency to better conserve battery on smartphones, tablets, and other battery-powered devices.

Set to be finalized in 2019, Wi-Fi 6 will also be beneficial to homes that have many internet connected smart products.

Many Wi-Fi 6 products were shown off at the Consumer Electronics show this year, including Netgear's new 802.11ax mesh Wi-Fi system.

Apple was one of the first device manufacturers to adopt 802.11ac well ahead of when it was finalized in December 2013, so the company is known to be an early adopter of new Wi-Fi technologies. There aren't a whole lot of 802.11ax routers available at the current time, but many more will likely debut next year.

5G connectivity is also on the horizon, but rumors indicate that Apple won't adopt it right away because it requires carrier implementation and may have issues during its early rollout. Apple is slower to adopt new cellular technologies and didn't implement support for 4G LTE until the iPhone 5 debuted in September 2012, even though other smartphone manufacturers began supporting it in late 2010.

Apple's 2019 iPhone lineup is expected to look similar to the 2018 iPhone lineup, with two OLED devices in different sizes and a single, lower-cost LCD device. It's likely Apple plans to introduce the faster specification in all three of its iPhones, though not guaranteed as it looks like the devices will have different feature sets.

Recent rumors have suggested the highest-end device, the successor to the current iPhone XS Max, will feature a triple-lens rear camera, while the smaller OLED iPhone and LCD iPhone could have dual-lens camera setups.

We have a ways to go until the 2019 iPhones are released in the fall, but we've been hearing rumors about the devices for months. For more information, make sure to check out our 2019 iPhone roundup.

Related Forum: iPhone

Today is the final day of CES 2019 in Las Vegas, where thousands of companies showed off their latest connected tech products. As usual, Apple did not have an official presence on the show floor, but there were several announcements and a wide variety of product unveilings that are tied to its ecosystem.

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MacRumors attended CES 2019 and has shared numerous articles and videos on our YouTube channel about the show throughout the week. We've wrapped up some of the notable announcements from the week below.

AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs

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Without attending, Apple stole some of CES 2019's thunder by announcing this week that AirPlay 2-enabled smart TVs are coming from leading manufacturers, including Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Chinese smart TV brand TCL told MacRumors it is "currently committed to Roku."

Smart TVs from LG, Sony, and Vizio, but not Samsung, will also support HomeKit. Samsung smart TVs are, however, getting an exclusive iTunes TV and Movies app for accessing purchased and rented content from Apple's storefront.

AirPlay 2 is also coming to Harman Kardon's new Citation Series of speakers and the popular VLC streaming app for Android.

Mophie battery cases for iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR

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Apple-certified accessory maker Mophie will be releasing Juice Pack Access battery cases for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR for $119.95 each in the first quarter of 2019. The juice packs extend the battery life of the iPhone XS by up to 25 hours, and the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR by up to 31 hours.

Unlike Apple's older Smart Battery Cases for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 7, the Juice Packs charge the iPhone wirelessly via the Qi standard, leaving the Lightning connector free for accessories and other uses. Apple is rumored to release a new Smart Battery Case for the iPhone XS, but has yet to do so.

HomeKit everything

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Numerous smart home accessories were unveiled at CES 2019 with HomeKit compatibility either at launch or promised later this year:

Apple-certified Lightning to USB-C cables

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Last month, Apple informed members of its Made for iPhone program that third-party Lightning to USB-C cables are now permitted to be manufactured, and CES 2019 saw the introduction of the first options from Belkin and Griffin. The cables will be available from both accessory makers in the spring.

CarPlay receivers

alpine ilx w650 carplay
CarPlay is now factory installed in well over 400 vehicle models, but some makes and models along with older vehicles do not support Apple's in-car software platform. For this, there are aftermarket CarPlay receivers, and we saw new wired and wireless options debut from Kenwood and JVC, Sony, and Alpine at CES 2019.

Pioneer also unveiled its latest receiver that turns an iPhone or Android smartphone into a car entertainment display.

Docks, chargers, and cases

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Videos: Best of CES 2019 and its Unveiled, Pepcom, and ShowStoppers events



For additional announcements and coverage, check out our CES 2019 news hub.