Apple is committed to bringing faster 5G connectivity outside of the US, according to a new report. Last year’s iPhone models were equipped with mmWave-capable chipset, however this was limited to only the US, the rest of the world has only received the slower sub-6GHz 5G support.

This might change for the next generation of iPhone series, according to Digitimes. Apple is reported to have increased the supplies for the 5G related hardware that also supports mmWave. There are now said to be five suppliers, according to industry sources.

The companies supplying the 5G components are Semco, LG Innotek, Kinsus Interconnect Technology, Unimircon Technology. The report says that Apple is expected to boost the ratio of 5G mmWave devices to 60% of its new iPhone lineup in 2021, with models estimated to reach 90 million units. The five suppliers are expected to share the orders for the components, each taking up about 20% of the demand.

One of the main reasons why it took Apple more than a year to figure out how to bring mmWave overseas is cost, but there are also four antenna-in-package components that are needed to ensure the hardware is fully functional. This brings more complexity to the production of iPhones. The fact that Apple is one of the biggest companies in the world, shipping tens of millions of iPhones each month also doesn’t help it to find a reliable supplier, or suppliers. 2020 was also a very hard year, and there are still component shortages happening, which added yet another complexity.

It’s not surprising to see Apple support the faster mmWave worldwide, since the adoption has since sped up, especially in some parts of Europe and Asia. mmWave provides speeds up in the gigabits, while sub-6GHz provides somewhat similar, slightly higher speeds than 4G LTE.

This year, we’re expected to see all four models, including the mini, although there are reports that it might not make it. The camera is also expected to receive some great improvements. The next generation of iPhones are expected to be announced in the third week in September.