Connectivity And Performance
With the addition of 5G support in the iPhone 12 series models, Apple has finally caught up to Samsung—which has launched numerous Galaxy phones with 5G support since mid-2019. Arguably, the timing is finally right for a 5G iPhone—with carriers rolling out 5G coverage more broadly in the U.S. For instance, during the Apple event on Tuesday, Verizon announced availability of its 5G Nationwide service in 1,800 U.S. cities. (“5G just got real,” said Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg, in comments during Apple’s pre-recorded iPhone announcement event on Tuesday.)
In terms of the specific type of 5G service that is supported by the devices, both the Galaxy S20 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max will support both of the major 5G variants. That is, the two phones both support sub-6GHz 5G connectivity--which is more widely available—as well as the higher-speed 5G service, known as millimeter-wave (or mmWave).
On performance, users should find little to complain about from the two phones. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 processor, which features an eight-core CPU with a clock speed of up to 2.84 GHz. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will be powered by the A14 Bionic chip, which includes a six-core CPU—and which Apple is calling the “fastest chip in a smartphone.” CPU performance can reach as much as 50-percent faster speeds than “the fastest competing smartphone chips,” according to Apple. Initial Geekbench 5 benchmark scores reported online to seem to point to a sizable performance advantage for the A14 Bionic.
