As noted by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next generation iPhones of Apple will feature upgraded liquid crystal polymer or LCP antenna modules to boost LTE transmission speeds.
The new iPhones will have a minimum of two antenna modules and support for 4×4 MIMO standards.
As in the note of Kuo, antenna design upgrade is a chief factor in understanding requirements for boosting ‘LTE transmission speed in new 2H18F iPhone models.’ LCP is ‘superior’ to PI as an LTE antenna material in terms of thermal performance, high-frequency, and moisture resistance.
“We predict 2H18 new iPhones will be equipped with two LCP LTE antenna modules same as iPhone X or more, but with higher specs to support 4×4 MIMO standards,” writes Kuo.
Last week, Kuo said that Apple will be using Qualcomm’s SDX 20 and Intel’s MXM 7560 as baseband chips for next-gen iOS devices. These new chips endorse the 4×4 MIMO technology, which exclusively increases LTE speeds.
Compiling previous notes of Kuo, we find that Apple is working on three new iPhones for the next year: a 5.8-inch OLED model, a 6.1-inch LCD model, and a 6.5-inch OLED model. These phones are believed to be similar to the iPhone X with edge-to-edge displays and Face ID support. The 6.5-inch model can be defined as the iPhone X Plus, and the 6.1-inch model is being designed to be more affordable.
Kuo predicted that Apple will target about 100 to 200 million units of iPhone to ship during the second half of the next year. This, he termed as an enhancer of an upgrade ‘supercycle’ in 2018.
