While Apple doesn’t typically mention support for new cellular bands or smaller LTE advancements, it has seemingly been confirmed (via Twitter) that the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and likely iPhone XR will all have support for HPUE.
It’s not entirely clear if all three of today’s new iPhone models support HPUE, but it seems likely that at least the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max do – with the iPhone XR being a possible outlier.
For those not familiar with cellular radios, HPUE allows for nearly 80% more range and much better penetration through walls or large buildings. Unfortunately, the technology is limited to Band 14 (700MHz), and hardly any carriers support it at this time, with Sprint being the exception in the U.S.
HPUE is an innovation unique to Sprint in the U.S. It enables our 2.5 GHz spectrum to propagate further and have nearly the same coverage performance as our 1.9 GHz spectrum, including indoors where the majority of wireless traffic is generated. More time spent on 2.5 GHz gives customers a better data experience in more places, improving the quality of streaming videos, mobile gaming and other online apps and services.
However, this future proofs the latest iPhones for when more carriers begin to support the technology. The reverse situation would be something similar to Band 71, which is only now available through the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, and iPhone XR, despite T-Mobile rolling out the technology last year.
Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news:
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments