If anything else, the next-gen iPhone may feature a much faster antenna structure, thereby allowing for greater data throughput.
The rumor mill has it that the iPhone iPhone XR will feature a 4×4 MIMO antenna design, according to a Barclays research note.
4×4 MIMO, which is short to “multiple-input, multiple-output,” could significantly improve LTE transmission speeds by increasing the number of data paths between cellular towers and a mobile device to four. As such, the next iPhone XR could feature four antennas, allowing for faster data speeds.
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max models currently feature Gigabit-class LTE with a 4×4 MIMO antenna design, while the current iPhone XR supports 2×2 MIMO.
Granted, no matter how many antennas an iPhone may incorporate, data speeds can still be altered by factors such as network congestion, distance from the tower, physical obstructions, environmental conditions, and interference.
Still, it’d be a neat antenna upgrade should it come true.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via MacRumors