During its iPhone 12 event this week, Apple expended an unusually long amount of talk time on pressing home the benefits of 5G, and even gave the chairman and CEO of Verizon, Hans Vestberg, a segment to explain how "5G just got real."
That same slogan is at the heart of Verizon's marketing campaign for mmWave 5G on iPhone 12, as this latest ad featuring comedian Chris Rock demonstrates.
The entire iPhone 12 lineup is compatible with faster 5G networks, but support for high-frequency mmWave bands is limited to models sold in the United States. This includes compatibility with Verizon's new 5G Ultra Wideband network, which is now available in 55 cities across the country.
mmWave is a set of 5G frequencies that promise ultra-fast speeds at short distances, making it best suited for dense urban areas. By comparison, sub-6GHz 5G is generally slower than mmWave, but the signals travel further, better serving suburban and rural areas. In most countries that offer 5G, sub-6GHz networks are more common.
Apple says iPhone 12 models support more 5G bands than any other smartphone, and the devices can automatically adjust to LTE when necessary to save battery life, such as when updates are taking place in the background.
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro pre-orders begin today, October 16 at 5 a.m. Pacific Time, with shipments starting Friday, October 23.
