Apple to upgrade to '5G WiFi' this year?
Apple will reportedly upgrade its Macs this year to include "5G WiFi", a technology that will increase wireless connectivity to speeds "in excess of a gigabit per second," according to Cupertino's purported chip partner, Broadcom. This news comes courtesy of The Next Web, which reports that "[s]ources familiar with Apple's plans …
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5G in the pipeline and they haven't even sorted out the licensing for 4G yet in the UK.
It says 5G WIFI not 5G as a successor to 4G cellular standards like LTE.
Typical fsckin' Apple
Introduce 4G mobile network, then "5G" WiFi. So their customers- if they don't look into it (which they won't)- think they're getting a SECOND leap in technology in just a few months.
4G phones will roll out of their competitors, followed by chants of "oh, Samsung's only got 4G?"
Grumble, grumble, marketers, grumble...
Re: Typical fsckin' Apple
It is BROADCOM that has dubbed it "5G wifi", not Apple. If Tim Cook introduces new models having this and loudly proclaims them as "5G", then you can bitch. But more likely he'll just say they have the "fastest wifi ever, with speeds in excess of a gigabit" or something like that.
Re: Typical fsckin' Apple
Why blame Apple and not Broadcom - or is this just to get upvotes from El Reg readers ?
5G? What a load of tosh. 802.11ac is the 27th revision of the standard.
The only way you could call it 5th Gen is if you go a-Gen1, b-Gen2, g-Gen3, n-Gen4, ac-Gen5, then ad-Gen6 (WiGig).
As the comments above seem to indicate, calling it 5G, makes the commentards think it has something to do with mobile phones.
Well that clears things up - what a great idea, naming the latest of many 802.11 specifications at 5ghz after the base frequency.
Why don't they just abandon numbers altogether? Why not "WiFi Elan" or "WiFi Quattro" or something. Less confusing for everyone.
Nope - the 5G is 5th Generation - see: http://5gwifi.org (scroll down to 'Evolution').
Unratified
Why bother with something that isn't even a ratified standard yet? The only Access Point "5G Wifi" will work with is a Broadcom one. I bet they've trademarked "5G Wifi".
This is like the SuperG stuff in early 11g APs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11_non-standard_equipment
You're paying for the privilege of being a beta tester for Apple and Broadcom. The standard is going to change and these chips will become incompatible in a year's time.
Enter "5.1G".
5G?
I'd be not surprised if it's actually Apple Wireless Glowwave (tm), but they're going to patent it worldwide as 5G so mobile phone users have to pay royalties to talk to people.
SHOORLY NOT!
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