蘋果將在今年發布的新款iPhone手機有一個重大缺憾——不支持5G。

下個月，蘋果的競爭對手三星計劃向美國市場發布首款5G智能手機Galaxy S10 5G。這款手機內置高通芯片，可以連接美國和韓國的5G網絡。將要面世的一加OnePlus 7、三星Galaxy Note 10以及其他一些安卓智能手機據說也會配備5G芯片。

業界的大多數觀察員都認為5G是下一個熱點。AT&T、威瑞森等無線運營商才剛剛開始推出5G技術，和目前的4G LTE網絡相比，5G顯著提高了移動網絡的連接速度。美國的5G網速可以超過每秒1Gbps，比4G快10到20倍，具體數值要看網絡狀況。

然而，目前看來，除非有什么不可預料的情況出現，否則蘋果2019年的iPhone將不支持5G。

去年有幾份報告表明，蘋果當時與芯片制造商英特爾合作測試調制解調器，想讓iPhone能夠接入5G網絡。這些報告稱，芯片測試由于連接問題屢次失敗，最終迫使蘋果從2019年的iPhone中刪除該功能。

英特爾在本周退出了5G調制解調器業務。

另一家芯片制造商聯發科技（MediaTek）也在制造5G芯片，去年蘋果公司表示將考慮在日后推出的新款iPhone手機中使用該公司的芯片。但同樣的，聯發科技也無法為2019年的iPhone提供5G調制解調器。

蘋果在評估其他選項，卻無法選擇與高通公司合作，盡管該公司已經擁有可用的5G芯片。原因是蘋果控告高通收取過高的處理器授權使用費，兩家公司的糾紛已經持續了好幾年。高通反訴蘋果，稱蘋果因為在iPhone中使用高通技術，欠了它幾十億美元。

然而，雙方于周二在這個備受矚目的案子上達成了和解。他們還簽署了一份為期六年的授權協議，允許蘋果在日后的iPhone中使用高通芯片。

對于想用5G的用戶來說，這似乎是個好消息——但今年新出的iPhone還用不上。

科技分析研究所（Technalysis Research）的分析師鮑勃·奧唐奈爾向科技資訊網（CNET）表示，蘋果需要在春天就確定iPhone的設計和組件，才能保證在秋天發布新手機之前已經做好量產準備。奧唐奈爾表示，即使蘋果公司想要急急忙忙地在iPhone中加入5G，仍然需要花幾個月對這些組件進行測試，手機才能投產。

最理想的情況是蘋果和高通現在就開始研究5G的問題，在明年的手機中加上。

投資公司Canaccord Genuity的分析師麥克·沃克利在本周給投資者的一份文件中表示，“我們認為蘋果和高通需要在4月之前啟動合作，才能按照慣例在2020年9月推出具有5G功能的iPhone。”

《財富》雜志請蘋果對該公司的5G計劃發表評論，但沒有得到回應。該公司高管對未來可能開展的5G計劃都保持沉默。蘋果通常只有在推出新產品時才會談論其硬件功能。

蘋果的競爭對手無疑正在密切關注這一缺憾。等到今年秋天如期而至的新款iPhone出貨時，有幾款安卓手機都能連接5G網絡。對于一些用戶而言，相比之下，蘋果的iPhone可能就會顯得過時了。

然而，或許也不會過時。

目前，威瑞森僅在芝加哥和明尼阿波利斯提供5G服務。AT＆T和威瑞森已經表示他們將在今年增加幾十個新的5G市場，但其他許多城市仍然只有傳統的4G LTE。對于全國大部分地區而言，5G手機不會帶來任何好處，因為無網可連。

因此，2019款iPhone不太可能和5G兼容也許沒什么大不了的。盡管5G對于日后提升移動網絡的連接速度、改善設備之間的通信至關重要，但它仍然遠未普及。

5G的普及最早也要等到2020年了，那時蘋果可能已準備好新的iPhone了。（財富中文網）

Apple’s newest iPhones will have one significant omission when they’re released later this year—no 5G technology.

Next month, rival Samsung plans to release its first 5G smartphone, the Galaxy S10 5G, to the U.S. The device includes a Qualcomm chip that lets the device connect to 5G networks in the U.S. and Korea. Other smartphones, including the upcoming OnePlus 7, Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10, and other Android smartphones, are also said to come with a 5G chip.

Most industry watchers agree that 5G is the next big thing. The technology, which wireless carriers including AT&T and Verizon are just starting to roll out, dramatically increases mobile connection speeds compared to current 4G LTE networks. In the U.S., 5G speeds could top 1Gbps per second and are up to 10 to 20 times faster than LTE, depending on network conditions.

However, at this point, barring an unforeseen circumstance, Apple’s 2019 iPhone won’t take advantage of that.

According to several reports last year, Apple was working with chipmaker Intel to test a modem so its iPhones could connect to 5G networks. Those reports said the chip testing suffered setbacks caused by connectivity problems that ultimately forced Apple to remove it from 2019 iPhones.

Intel exited the 5G modem business this week.

Another chip maker, MediaTek, is also building a 5G chip, and Apple said last year that it would consider using it in future iPhones. But again, MediaTek wouldn’t be able to supply 5G modems for 2019 iPhones.

While evaluating alternatives, Apple couldn’t partner with Qualcomm, even though it already has a working 5G chip. The reason: Apple and Qualcomm were in years-long dispute over accusations that Qualcomm charged exorbitant licensing fees on its processors. Qualcomm counter-sued Apple, arguing that Apple owed it billions of dollars for using Qualcomm technology in iPhones.

On Tuesday, however, the companies settled the high-profile case. They also signed a six-year licensing agreement that would allow Apple to use Qualcomm chips in future iPhones.

For 5G-seekers, that would seem like good news—but not for upcoming iPhones this year.

Technalysis Research analyst Bob O’Donnell told CNET that Apple needs to finalize iPhone design and components in the spring to ensure it’s ready for mass production before debuting the phones in the fall. Even if Apple tried to rush 5G to the iPhone, the company would still need to spend months testing the components before the phone would be ready for production, O’Donnell said.

The best case scenario is for Apple and Qualcomm to work on 5G now and put it in next year’s iPhones.

“We believe Apple and Qualcomm needed to start working together by April for Apple to launch 5G enabled smartphones for its September 2020 iPhone launch timeframe,” Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley said in a note to investors this week.

Apple did not respond to a Fortune request for comment on its 5G plans. The company’s executives have also been silent on any possible 5G plans for the future. Apple generally only speaks about hardware features when it unveils new products.

Apple’s competitors are undoubtedly paying close attention to the omission. When the inevitable new iPhone ships this fall, several Android smartphones will be capable of connecting to 5G networks. To some, Apple’s iPhone could look obsolete in comparison.

Then again, it may not.

Currently, Verizon’s 5G service is only available in Chicago and Minneapolis. AT&T and Verizon have said they would add dozens of new 5G markets this year, but many other cities will still just have legacy 4G LTE. For most of the country, a 5G phone would be of no benefit, since there wouldn’t be a 5G network to connect to.

So perhaps it’s no big deal that 2019 iPhones are unlikely to be 5G compatible. As crucial as the technology will be in the future to lift mobile connection speeds and improve communication between devices, it’s still far from ubiquitous.

When 5G is widely available—2020, at the earliest—Apple may have an iPhone ready.