Apple touts the new iPhone 12 and its 5G as a game changer for mobile games

Apple has unveiled its latest line of iPhone devices: the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and iPhone 12 Mini. This latest lineup is split across four models of varying size, but all promise access to 5G networks and Apple’s shiny new A14 Bionic chip.

It’s the first time iPhones have supported 5G, and Apple’s Tim Cook says that this jump in technology, like those before it, means new opportunities for developers and particularly means “an enormous leap forward” for games on iPhone.

Cook shared the stage with Verizon Wireless CEO Hans Vestberg who notes that, at least on Verizon networks, 5G unlocks access to network speeds with download speeds in the ballpark of 4 Gbps and upload speeds at 200 Mbps.

For games in particular, the CEO duo says that this opens up lower-latency play and better online experiences for multiplayer games on the freshest line of iOS devices without players needing to stay tethered to a wifi connection. Cook uses Riot Games’ upcoming mobile-centric League of Legends remake Wild Rift as an example of these 5G benefits and the iPhone 12’s new hardware in action.

“With off-the-charts GPU performance and frames per second, you get amazing details and fluid gameplay, even in the most chaotic team fights,” adds Riot Games’ executive producer Michael Chow . He notes that the tech powering the devices allow for “a brand-new level of fidelity” and the ability to play League on a data connection without sacrificing responsiveness or connection quality.

While 5G is credited as the driving force behind better multiplayer matches, Apple notes that the A14 chip powering the iPhone 12 line “enables console-quality experiences.”

Looking that that A14 Bionic chip, Apple says it has dethroned its predecessor the A13 chip to become the “fastest chip ever in a smartphone.” The A14, argues Apple, is on par performance wise with laptops and around 50 percent faster than the A13, largely thanks to a sizable reduction in transistor size that allows the chip to run more efficiently (among other perks.)

Each of the new devices are due to launch in the next month, with the 12 and pro hitting shelves on October 16 while the Pro Max and 12 Mini are set to launch November 13.