Apple is already excepted to launch 5G iPhones and iPads, and now the company is rumored to bring the next-generation wireless standard to MacBooks. Apple will supposedly unveil MacBooks with 5G wireless support in 2020, according to a report from Taiwanese tech site Digitimes.
Based on the report, Apple will use ceramic 5G antennas that could provide 2x faster wireless speeds and a more reliable connection than metal antennas. But ceramic doesn't come cheap, and at six times the price of a traditional metal antenna, the component would add a hefty premium on top of the MacBook's already exorbitant price.
It wouldn't be unlike Apple to use a different material than its competitors if it meant improving performance and reliability. But with the MacBook Pro already starting at $1,299, Apple risks pricing out even more customers, on top of those who switched to Windows when the last-gen MacBook Air (the least expensive Apple laptop) was discontinued.
MORE: Apple May Launch Massive Foldable iPad with 5G Next Year
If you're holding off on buying a new laptop for a 5G MacBook, then I'm afraid you have a long wait ahead. Digitimes says the 5G MacBook won't arrive until late 2020, if it does at all. As appealing as a MacBook with support for the next-gen cellular network might sound, we're pretty skeptical of the rumors. Digitimes has a hit-or-miss track record and the sources cited in this particular report don't instill confidence. That doesn't mean a MacBook with 5G isn't coming, we just wouldn't hold our breaths.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a 16-inch MacBook Pro and a new foldable iPad. The new flagship tablet would support 5G and have display options similar to those offered on the MacBook Pro (13-inch and 15-inch). Unsurprisingly, all of Apple's 2020 iPhones are also rumored to be 5G-ready, even the lower-end models. If that's true, we can only hope Apple's more affordable MacBook Air also gets the 5G treatment when the time comes.
