iPhone SE and new iPad Air don’t support the fastest mmWave 5G standard

The iPhone SE (2022) was officially unveiled last night, and while its dated design might be a bargain in today’s world, it comes with 5G connectivity. This ensures that anyone who buys Apple’s “budget”iPhone won’t at least have to update their smartphone for one year due to the lack of the latest connectivity standard. However, reports after its launch showed that the iPhone SE (2022) will not support mmWave 5G connectivity.

iPhone SE and iPad Air do not support mmWave 5G

Further reports since then have confirmed that the recently introduced iPad Air, powered by the M1 processor for the first time, also does not support mmWave 5G. The move is a departure from Apple’s standardized practice that the iPhone 13 line supports all 5G bands. It’s the latter that makes Apple’s latest iPhones compatible with any 5G network around the world – something the new iPhone SE and iPad Air lack.

mmWave 5G is one of two 5G networks, including sub-6 GHz, that are part of the latest generation of commercial mobile connectivity. While mmWave 5G networks are considered the best in terms of achieving maximum throughput and therefore can provide the highest network connection speeds of any 5G network in the world. India is also expected to roll out mmWave 5G connectivity when it enters commercial service.

As a result, both the new iPhone SE and iPad Air will be deprived of the fastest 5G networks in the world – at least for now. However, it’s important to note that mmWave 5G networks have seen limited worldwide adoption so far, meaning that while the iPhone SE has a clear limitation, it’s not completely debilitating. In other words, those who buy a new budget iPhone will still get 5G, just not the fastest.

The new iPhone SE features the same 4.7-inch display with thick bezels on the sides, a design that was introduced eight years ago with the iPhone 6. This comes at a time when even the cheapest smartphones priced around $65 also offer more thin frames. However, it’s still a very capable phone, offering an A15 SoC, a 12MP rear camera with Deep Fusion and Smart HDR 4, an IP67 ruggedness rating, and all the benefits of the latest generation of iOS software.

The device starts at $575 and is available with 64GB of internal storage.