Though marketed as a 5G iPhone, the new iPhone SE won't support mmWave 5G, and AT&T says it won't be able to use its upcoming 3.45GHz 5G network
AT&T is holding back some of its 5G prowess for later this year, but the new iPhone SE will not work on AT&T's upcoming 3.45GHz 5G network, the carrier confirmed to PCMag.
PCMagSascha Segan
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple had already made high-frequency 5G support geographically selective in the iPhone 12 line, with mmWave limited to US-sold models. The SE’s exclusions extend that pattern from regional model variation to a lower-cost iPhone’s compatibility with AT&T spectrum.
The later SE roadmap points to Apple pursuing an Apple-designed 5G modem for a future model, making radio-band support a more visible part of how the company differentiates successive SE generations.
First-order effects
AT&T customers who buy the new iPhone SE cannot use the carrier’s planned 3.45GHz network, even as the device is sold as 5G-capable.
Apple’s entry-level iPhone has a narrower set of 5G capabilities than some carrier network deployments, requiring AT&T and retail channels to clarify the limitation.
Second-order effects
AT&T’s investment in the 3.45GHz rollout will initially deliver no benefit to this iPhone SE installed base, concentrating the network upgrade’s value among compatible devices.
The gap gives higher-end iPhones and rival handsets with broader band support a clearer compatibility advantage for AT&T buyers who prioritize access to its forthcoming network.
Third-order effects
If device makers continue to vary band support by model and market, 5G competition will be shaped less by the label on the handset than by carrier-specific spectrum compatibility.
Apple’s reported move toward an in-house modem raises the strategic importance of its control over which bands future iPhones support and when.
The trend: 5G handset differentiation is shifting from whether a phone supports 5G at all to whether its radio hardware matches each carrier’s expanding spectrum portfolio.
Less than two years ago, Verizon CEO @hansvestberg touted the benefits of mmWave #5G during the unveiling of Apple's iPhone 12. But the newest iPhone doesn't support mmWave at all. https://www.lightreading.com/ ...? CC @saschasegan $VZ
ATT confirmed to me that the new iPhone SE doesn't have @ATT's new 3.45GHz “Andromeda” spectrum - meaning it loses a major advantage over Verizon there. https://www.pcmag.com/...
3) Putting the latest iPhone CPU in the cheapest iPhone sends a serious message about future plans: whatever they intend to do with upcoming software/services, they want to be able to do it on ALL iPhones. (3/?)
Apple's raising price. New iPhone SE includes an 8% price bump from the previous generation. Now starts at $429. Despite higher price, I bet they won't be able to keep up with demand.
Apple hit the right notes today. Lower priced iPhone SE and iPad Air Models with top end chips come at a great time for consumers whose budgets may have been tightened by inflation & the bear market. Arguably, the SE is better than the 13 pro in many ways
I was wrong on an important iPhone SE detail. It does have 5G. I'm surprised they did not leave that to the higher end phones. Bottom line, they're all in on 5G.