Why iPhone 8 is apparently so bad that it's perfect for India
No other device in the short history of smartphones has had the amount of leaks and rumours like the Apple iPhone 8. The latest one is a little worrisome, especially when you compare it with contemporary Android devices: the new iPhone might not come with high-speed or the Gigabit LTE connectivity.
What is Gigabit LTE?
Gigabit LTE is a wireless technology that can support theoretical speeds up to 1Gbps. In 2016, Qualcomm announced that its next-generation 800 series smartphone processor platform will include the X16 modem that supports gigabit LTE speeds. This futuristic technology that is now a reality may not be there for patrons of Apple. According to a Bloomberg report, the upcoming iPhone, to be launched later this year, may not come with Gigabit LTE connectivity, something that will leave the company’s most-awaited product potentially lagging behind rival smartphones, like Samsung's Galaxy S8, S8+, and Note8.
The world is already moving towards 5G and Gigabit LTE is the way forward. Leading telecom operators like Verizon and AT&T are looking forward to wireless network upgrades later this year and thanks to network upgrades, devices will be able to download as much as a gigabit of data in a single second - speeds 100 times faster than before.
According to a Forbes report from April, 15 carriers in 11 countries are already deploying Gigabit LTE networks. There are currently 47 carriers around the world looking at, testing or in the process of deploying Gigabit LTE networks, making demand for Gigabit LTE devices by both those carriers and consumers even greater. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 is currently the only smartphone processor with this capability.
So why is Apple lagging behind?
Contrary to popular beliefs, Apple is not being a hipster, or just trying to stay away from something that will soon become mainstream. Apple’s decision is more of a business decision than anything else.
It has a lot to do with how Apple manages supply of components used in its flagship device. The modems, which handle the connection between a phone and the cellular network, used in iPhones are supplied by two companies: Qualcomm and Intel. While Qualcomm has already developed technology that supports Gigabit LTE, Intel, which is also developing this technology, will take some more time to have it in place. Something that is unlikely to happen by the time iPhone 8 launches.
It seems fairly obvious that Apple does not want half of its iPhone 8s to have Gigabit LTE technology and the other half to be slightly obsolete. Thus, Apple throttling Qualcomm's higher-performing modems to the same level as what Intel's part is able to achieve what is important to the Cupertino-based tech giant: no performance difference between iPhones sporting the two parts.
If one is to wonder why Apple chooses not to source its modems from Qualcomm alone, there’s a reason for that as well. Apple is already in a legal battle with Qualcomm over monopolistic practices. It is a strategy Apple had used last year as well, when they used two modem suppliers to mask performance disparities for iPhone 7.
Perfect for India
While Apple’s tried and tested method of not following market trends has paid off in the past, to be this callous about Gigabit LTE, the future of mobile internet, is a risky move. Every day a new smartphone that brags this feature gets launched, Apple’s new flagship looks more like an overpriced novelty device.
Of course, that being said, it will definitely find itself welcome in India, a country that has its own struggles with internet speeds. According to a report in the Economic Times, industry stakeholders and experts pointed out that backhaul will be a major challenge in the migration from existing networks to 5G with less than 20 per cent Indian networks running via fibre optic cables.
The problem is, in India, more than 80 per cent of cell sites are connected through microwave backhaul, while under 20 per cent sites are connected through fibre. Microwave backhaul has bandwidth issue since it uses traditional bands providing 300 Mbps of capacity, whereas fiber-based backhaul can offer unlimited capacity and low latency, something that is essential for 5G technologies. But that’s not the only solution. Higher capacity microwave links can also be brought into use.
While the commercial launch of 5G technology is still some time away (2019-2020), there is a whole new infrastructural change that the telecom sector has to invest in, before this dream turns into reality. At present, the condition of our existing data infrastructure is rather poor.
But other than this, the rumours around the Apple iPhone 8 make it sound pretty awesome. The phone is supposed to feature a revamped design, with an end-to-end stretched display and thin bezels. An OLED display panel is also in the rumour mills, along with a dual rear camera setup.