The iPhone 12 is going to be very late to the 5G party, but is that a big surprise? Apple is late to many cell phone trends, from large screens and multiple cameras to fast charging. But that's the Apple way. It studies the market and tries to find ways to stand out when it finally adopts a new technology.

5G will probably be no different. All four new iPhone 12 models coming in the fall will reportedly feature 5G connectivity: the 5.4-inch iPhone 12 and 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Max will support the 5G sub-6GHz band, while the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro are said to support both sub-6GHz bands and mmWave networks.

This means that the regular iPhone 12 model will offer very good speeds (up to around 300 Mbps) and very good range, while the Pro model can achieve phenomenal download speeds (up to 2 Gbps), but only within line-of-sight range of nearby 5G nodes .

Ultimately, only early adopters will care about the iPhone 12's 5G bands.

"The key to being the best 5G phone is to show that 5G can do what LTE couldn't do before," says Ramon Ramas, research director for mobile devices and AR/VR at IDC. I think customers want 5G to work, no matter what bandwidth is available."

While Apple will certainly emphasize faster 5G downloads with the iPhone 12, it will not be enough. Samsung's Galaxy S20 5G commercials touted futuristic scenarios like more responsive gaming, smoother multi-person video calls, and attending concerts virtually. It is up to Apple to surpass this, but Apple has an important advantage: apps.

A hallmark of the iPhone keynote is Apple's introduction of third-party developers. And I guarantee that at least a couple of the apps that will be showcased will be optimized for 5G.

"I'm intrigued by apps that are data-intensive and should have little to no latency," Llamas said.

It is definitely conceivable that Apple will debut at least one exclusive game for the iPhone 12 lineup that makes real-time multiplayer action better over 5G, and it is obviously the company's $5/month gaming service would be a great way to sell Apple Arcade.

Apple will also likely show off some of its own apps that can be super fast with 5G. Of course, you'll be able to stream Apple TV Plus shows and movies faster, but you should also be able to download them on the go in less time.

One of the unique features introduced in iOS 14 is App Clips, which allows users to use parts of an app on the fly instead of downloading the entire app. As Apple says, App Clips can be used for everything from ordering food at a restaurant to renting a scooter; since App Clips are designed to be lightweight, this feature should work fine on 4G, but should feel even more instantaneous on 5G.

"App Clips should load even faster, but the point of App Clips is that it is compact enough to respond on 4G LTE networks," said Avi Greengart, principal analyst at Techsponential.

Although iPhone AR apps are still in their infancy, iOS 14 promises to improve the augmented reality experience on the iPhone. For example, location anchors allow AR experiences to be placed in specific geographic locations, taking AR gaming to the next level.

In addition, support for face tracking will be extended, increasing the number of AR experiences accessible via the front camera, and according to Apple, video textures will be able to be added to any part of a scene or virtual object.

In other words, AR is about to become more robust, and with 5G on the iPhone 12, users should be able to enjoy enhanced AR apps even when away from Wi-Fi. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be even more capable when it comes to the rumored LiDAR scanner, similar to the one on the iPad Pro.

"There has been a lot of talk about 5G and AR," Llamas said. 'The speed and low latency of 5G will enable a live AR experience.'

When it comes to AR and 5G connectivity on the iPhone 12, businesses will initially benefit more than consumers. Lama cites the example of a manufacturing company that designs, installs, and supports huge machines for its customers. The company hopes that AR will assist with support and maintenance, and that 5G-enabled iPhones will help when Wi-Fi is difficult to extend.

"It may be Apple's or other vendors' turn, but they will rely on the smartphone's hardware, including cameras, microphones, and positioning," Llamas said.

Across the wireless industry, 5G networks are still being built: according to Ookla's recent survey, Verizon only supports 39 cities so far, while AT&T's low-band 5G network supports 237 cities. T-Mobile, which is also focused on low-band 5G, leads with more than 5,000 cities. Therefore, for iPhone 12 buyers, T-Mobile's network is likely to be a very strong choice at this stage.

"The 5G iPhone on T-Mobile's network will provide the best overall 5G experience from this fall through the middle of next year, when the network buildout is almost complete," Greengart said.

It should also be remembered that this is only the first 5G iPhone. iPhone 12 could be the testing ground for the upcoming Apple Glasses, as Apple learns what it can do with that device when it combines 5G and AR.

Caroline Milanesi, principal analyst at Creative Strategies, said, "Touting 5G as a selling point makes more sense with glasses that can tether to the phone."

Overall, however, the iPhone 12 has the best chance to make 5G more than just a checklist item on its flagship phone. Apple's focus on apps and developers should create new experiences that go far beyond download speeds.