With iPhones with 5G support expected to debut next year with iPad Pros with 5G support predicted for 2021, why not a MacBook Pro that supports the next gen technology?
This would be a major step for Apple as it’s yet to introduce any sort of cellular capability for its Mac laptop line. But it’s a step worth considering, especially as Intel has promoted “Project Athena,” Intel’s push for “a new class of laptops” that involves 5G and artificial intelligence support.
5G promises super-fast connections that tech evangelists say will transform the way we live our lives. However, that dramatically increases the security risk, U.S. officials say, because of the increasingly central role that telecommunications will play in our lives and the expected dramatic increase in connected devices in the network.
5G networks aren’t just a faster form of cellular networking. They’re much lower latency, meaning they feel radically more responsive, and they have much greater capacity, meaning data caps and throttling may be a thing of the past, according to PC Mag.
If Apple does introduce MacBook Pros with 5G support, it will be a method of “future proofing” them because it will be a while before 5G reachers its full potential. While it eventually will feature peak speeds up to 20 Gbps, it will be years before that happens.
In order to transition to 5G from existing networks, the majority of new deployments will see a need to build 5G architecture on top of current LTE, 4G and 4.5G radio access and core infrastructure. Also, the initial subscription plans are likely to be more expensive than the ones currently available.
Why? The annual investments required for upgrading to 5G might push towards the $200 billion mark – raising questions over the justifications of actually switching over from 4G to 5G. A 2016 report suggested that nationwide 5G coverage for the U.S. would probably cost more than $300 billion.
In addition, carriers will also have to incur heavy expenses for upgrading their existing infrastructure to accommodate the new devices and antennas required by 5G systems. As a DZone report notes, it’s going to be a full-blown overhaul, and it isn’t going to be cheap.
However, 5G is the future. Let’s hope Apple makes sure the Mac laptop line is ready for it.
