Apple May Launch 5G iPad Alongside iPhone 12 Later This Year

Apple is expected to launch its 2020 iPhone lineup in September later this year. Likely to be called the iPhone 12 series, the smartphones are expected to support 5G mobile networks. The Cupertino-based tech giant is reportedly planning to launch its first-ever 5G iPad alongside this rumoured iPhone 12 at the event. For the 5G iPad, Apple has reportedly added a new supplier for components. A Taiwanese component company Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has reportedly broken into the supply chain.

According to a new report by Apple Insider, the supplier will help Apple‘s mmWave 5G iPhones and 5G iPads with its substrate-based FC_AiP (flip chip antenna-in-package) technology. The iPhone maker is expected to update the iPad Pro in early 2020, but a 5G model could debut later in the year. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently revealed that the iPhone maker is expected to release new iPad Pro models with rear 3D sensing in the first half of 2020.

Kuo in a research note with TF International Securities said the iPad Pro models will gain 3D sensing through the rear-facing camera system. As per the report, Apple is expected to use a time-of-flight system, which measures the time that it takes for light to bounce off of objects in a room to generate a 3D map. Additionally, Kuo also reiterated that Apple plans to release its low-cost iPhone “SE 2” in the first half of 2020 too.

The iPhone SE 2 will use a 10-layer Substrate-like PCB (SLP) for its motherboard, the same technology used by the iPhone 11 version. Kuo expects the device to look similar to the iPhone 8 and believes it will be a popular upgrade option for existing iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S owners. If these reports are anything to go by, we are looking at two major hardware events by Apple this year. One could be in March for the launch of iPhone SE 2 and updated iPad Pro. The second could be in September for the introduction of iPhone 12 and 5G iPad.―BGR