Does the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max support 5G?
The iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max also do not support 5G. All three models are limited to 4G. What might be more useful is a review of the iPhone 11 vs iPhone 11 Pro comparison, or perhaps the iPhone 11 Pro Max vs iPhone 13 instead, so you can compare the specs between a 5G compatible iPhone against a non-5G compatible iPhone when deciding your next Apple smartphone purchase.
What models are compatible with 5G?
Since the iPhone 11 series are limited to 4G, the current 5G compatible iPhones are only within the iPhone 12 series and the iPhone 13 series. To summarise, you'll never be able to use the 5G network on an iPhone 11, 11 Pro, or 11 Pro Max.
Why is the iPhone 11 series not compatible with 5G?
There are two main reasons: the fact that Apple is always a bit behind when it comes to networking, and the fact that Intel has been unable to provide 5G modems to Apple.
Apple has never shone when it comes to network compatibility. For example, we were talking about the “3G” iPhone in 2008, because the first iPhone model didn't support 3G. A few years later, we had the same scenario for 4G: the iPhone 5 was the first iPhone to support 4G, two years after 4G launched, and when the first competitors already launched 4G compatible smartphones.
Second, Apple's modem supplier Intel did not deliver parts for 5G support on time. In addition, Apple has chosen to buy the Intel department to have more control over production. The first 5G-capable iPhones now come with a Qualcomm modem.
Which iPhones support 5G?
To date, here is the list of compatible 5G iPhones:
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 13 mini
We will update this list as new models hit the market. Also to note, not all pre-iPhone 11 models, like the iPhone XR, support 5G either.