Video: Watch the iPhone 12 reach top speed on 5G at Telstra Sydney HQ

5G on the iPhone 12 clocks speeds over 1GB download. Does this mean the 5G network is ready to support Industry 4.0 innovation?

Granted this speed test took place right alongside a 5G tower, but still this is the first time we've been able to share in this vision of the technology in action.

We've been told all along that 5G would bring incredible speeds, but it's something else to see it with your own eyes.

Did 5G 'just get real'?

At the iPhone 12 launch, Verizon CEO, Hans Vestberg, declared "5G just got real!"

What was he thinking? ... 5G has been available across the Australian urban population centres for months and 5G phones from Samsung have been on sale for more than a year./p>

Why did it just 'get real' with the launch of the iPhone 12 range?

Vestberg justifies his statement with two points, one about Apple iPhones and one about the 5G network.

5G could not be 'real' without a 5G iPhone

In the United States, the penetration of iPhone users is 50 percent.

In Australia, 52 percent of smartphones in use are iPhones.

The remaining 48 percent of smartphones in the Australian market are Android devices. They are split between multiple manufacturers with Samsung having the next highest brand share at 20 percent.

With the launch of the 5G-enabled iPhone 12 range, over half the population who prefer an Apple device, have the option to move to 5G.

"Yes its real because we've been waiting for an iPhone. The penetration of iPhone user in the US is very high and that's why, now, I can think that we are really in that moment of '5G just got real'."

Source: Statistica August 2020

5G networks are here...sort of

Vestberg makes a second point to justify his assertion that 5G 'just got real' and it is related to the 5G network in the US.

"All year I told the market that we are going to launch at the right commercial moment. This is the right commercial moment. We have the nationwide, we have the Ultra WideBand, and we have the best 4G network ... so this is an exciting time for us.

"...Some think that we are late on 5G. I would say we are two years' ahead of the plans that were 5 years ago of where 5G should be today so I think we have pushed the envelope here in the United States and we're very proud of it."

The United States and Australia are following different paths to 5G. The Ultra WideBand 5G that Hestberg refers to is a very high mmWave frequency. It will be available in the US in 60 cities by the end of 2020. Ultra WideBand mmWave is the transformative 5G that will deliver super fast speeds and low latency. In comparison the nationwide 5G he refers to is low-frequency 5G which prioritises coverage over speed, and is only producing speeds that are comparable to the latest 4G LTE network. 

In Australia mmWave frequency will be auctioned by the Government in 2021. However, the existing 5G is running on mid-band frequencies offering a faster speed than the nationwide US-version of 5G. 

How transformative will 5G be?

• Imagine being able to join meetings or classrooms from home using virtual or augmented reality.
• Imagine wearable tech that generates health data in live-time so your doctor can spot any medical issues before you even know you have them.
• Imagine a connected, seamless lag-free experience across multiple devices and settings, from your home to your car to your study or home office.
• Imagine fleets of autonomous drones able to deliver your groceries, books, supplies, whatever.
• Imagine being able to watch the sport, a concert, the theatre or a family gathering using virtual or augmented reality that creates a truly immersive experience.

“No technology will do more to shape the 2020s than 5G” says Telstra CEO Andrew Penn.

Did 5G just get real? Well if the speeds in the video at the top of this post are anything to go on, it just got a whole lot more real than it has been up until now.