iPhone 12 Lineup's mmWave 5G Support Limited to the United States

As expected, the entire iPhone 12 lineup is compatible with faster 5G networks, but Apple's website confirms that support for high-frequency mmWave bands is limited to models sold in the United States. This includes compatibility with Verizon's new 5G Ultra Wideband network, which as of today is available in 55 cities across the country.

iphone 12 5g
mmWave is supported on all iPhone 12 models sold in the United States, ranging from the iPhone 12 mini to the iPhone 12 Pro Max. iPhone 12 models sold in all other countries and regions are limited to sub-6GHz bands for 5G.

mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. In most countries that offer 5G, sub-6GHz networks are more common.

Apple says iPhone 12 models support more 5G bands than any other smartphone, and the devices can automatically adjust to LTE when necessary to save battery life, such as when updates are taking place in the background.

iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders begin Friday, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with shipments starting Friday, October 23. The smaller 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini and larger 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max are launching later, with pre-orders beginning Friday, November 6 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time and shipments starting Friday, November 13.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

Rudy69 Avatar
54 months ago
I already wasn't excited about 5G....now I'm just thrilled
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RamGuy Avatar
54 months ago
So this goes for both the iPhone 12 and 12 Pro models? No biggie as mmWave won't make it to where I leave in Norway for at least 2 years+ and even if/when it does it seems like a technology not really meant for phones. The fact that you pretty much need line-of-sight between the transceiver and receiver makes it look technology that is supposed to be used for high throughput point-to-point connections and not cellular phones that you keep moving all over the place.

Regardless I find it really stupid for Apple to make yet another thing "US-only". So many of Apple latest releases seem to be US-first making me feel like a lesser customer and user for not living in the US. Not to mention how mmWave is supposed to make production cost noticeably higher. So this basically means that Apple non-US customers are pretty much paying more for less when purchasing the iPhone 12 or 12 Pro.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TantalizedMind Avatar
54 months ago
There is still a notch on this thing?!!! Pass!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tim182 Avatar
54 months ago
In the UK carriers are using n78 (3500MHz) for 5G. O2 is looking at rolling out n40/band40 (2300MHz) at some point, all of which are support by all iPhone 12 regional variants.

There is an additional auction for long range 5G on 700MHz in the UK and parts of Europe (Italy?) but this isn't being used yet. According to https://www.apple.com/uk/iphone/cellular/ this band is also supported on on regional variants (n12 and n28).

Europe and Canadian model iPhones don't support mmWave (above 6-GHz) 5G. At this stage, there is no mmWave in Europe, although the EU (and UK?) are looking to license 26Ghz (n258) mmWave at some point. However, the US model does not support n258 - it supports n260 (39 GHz) and n261 (28 GHz) which are not in the pipeline for Europe. So the additional bands of the US model are pointless outside the US.

I note there also is the 600MHz 5G band which is supported in the Canadian (and US) version, but not in the European one... Not sure what the pipeline is for this?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
54 months ago
Even a tree can block the signal. No thanks.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kaycrystal626 Avatar
54 months ago
mmWave is a joke. You need line-of-sight to get optimum speed. Not good if you have walls and rain outside.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)