Apple plans to add the new WiFi 6E technology in its upcoming devices, according to the long-time Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF-International Securities. The company is reportedly working on adding the new wireless technology in next year’s iPhone series and an upcoming AR/VR head-mounted display.
Next year, Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 series which could bring major design changes while also adding new technologies underneath such as WiFi 6E. Kuo had already mentioned previously that the new wireless protocol will be used in an upcoming AR headset. He had also reported that the AR headset could be introduced sometime late in 2022.
Demand for WiFi 6E chips to rise
“We also believe that both the iPhone 14 and Apple head-mounted displays are equipped with Wi-Fi 6E, which is expected to drive more competitors’ products to adopt Wi-Fi 6E,” writes Kuo (translation by AppleInsider).
All the current generation Apple devices use WiFi chips that support 802.11ax WiFi 6. The recently released iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro series support WiFi. Also, all the M1 chip based Mac computers support WiFi 6. The newer WiFi 6E protocol supports “two or three” times more channels compared to the currently used protocol used in Mac computers and iPhones.
Kuo goes on to add that the newer WiFi 6E chips will need two to four LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics) chips. The adoption of WiFi 6E standard by Apple is expected to drive the demand of LTCC substrates through the roof.
If the iPhone 14 turns out to use MIMO design with 3×3 or 4×4, the industry will reportedly face a supply crunch. The newer WiFi 6E standard is supposed to offer increased potential bandwidth for supported endpoints and gateways. The current generation iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro series supports 2×2 MIMO capability.
Along with the iPhone 14 and the AR headset, Apple is expected to unveil a tower sized Mac Pro powered by a new M-series chip.
