Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to possible next-gen millimeter wave antennas for future iPhones. The iPhone 12 Pro today offers a single side-firing 5G millimeter wave antenna window as presented in the image below. In the future, Apple may integrate multiple millimeter wave antennas, including face, side and rear-firing millimeter wave antennas and more. The new array of millimeter-wave antennas are designed to cooperate with each other so as to provide superior 5G millimeter-wave communications in various use cases.

In Apple's patent FIG. 8A below they illustrate an iPhone (device #700) presenting example radiation patterns of the millimeter-wave antennas, and how those radiation patterns are oriented relative to the iPhone. For example, the first millimeter-wave antenna #730 defines a first radiation pattern #803 extending through the front surface #809 of the iPhone, the second millimeter-wave antenna #732 defines a second radiation pattern #805 extending through the rear surface #813 of the iPhone, and the third millimeter-wave antenna #734 defines a third radiation pattern #804 extending through the side surface #811 of the iPhone.

Further, while FIG. 8A below shows a single radiation pattern for each of the first, second, and third millimeter-wave antennas, each of the millimeter-wave antennas may include multiple antenna elements, each associated with its own radiation pattern. Thus, for example, the third millimeter-wave antenna #734 may include four antenna elements, each having a radiation pattern that is similar to the third radiation pattern #804 in size, shape, gain, and/or primary transmission direction.

Apple's patent FIGS. 8B-8D above illustrate how the millimeter-wave antennas may cooperate to provide millimeter-wave communications in various different use cases.

Apple's patent FIG. 8B illustrates the iPhone in a face-up position on a table.  In this condition, the back-fired (or rear-fired) millimeter-wave antenna #732 is facing the table surface, and thus may be occluded by the table and not oriented towards a cell tower or other remote antenna. However, the front-fired millimeter-wave antenna #730 and the side-fired millimeter-wave antenna #734 may be unobstructed (at least by the table surface). Further, because the front- and side-fired antennas are oriented in different directions (e.g., the front-fired antenna radiating generally perpendicular to the table top and the side-fired antenna radiating generally parallel to the table top), there is a greater likelihood that at least one of these antennas will be sufficiently directed at a cell tower or other remote antenna to enable wireless communications.

Apple's patent FIG. 8C above illustrates an iPhone being held in a user's hand in an upright or "portrait" orientation (e.g., with the long axis of the iPhone parallel to the height-axis of the user). In this condition, the side-fired millimeter-wave antenna #734 is occluded by the user's hand, and may thus be rendered temporarily ineffective or otherwise insufficient. However, the front-fired millimeter-wave antenna #730 and the rear-fired millimeter-wave antenna #732 may be unobstructed (at least by the user's hand).

Further, because the front- and rear-fired antennas are oriented in different directions (e.g., the front-fired antenna radiating generally towards the user and possibly over the user's shoulder and/or around his or her body, and the rear-fired antenna radiating away from the user), there is a greater likelihood that at least one of these antennas will be sufficiently directed at a cell tower or other remote antenna to enable wireless communications.

Apple's patent FIG. 8D illustrates the iPhone is being held in a user's hand in a "landscape" orientation (e.g., with the long axis of the device 700 perpendicular to the height-axis of the user and/or parallel to the ground). In this condition, the rear-fired millimeter-wave antenna #732 may be occluded by the user's hand, and may thus be rendered temporarily ineffective or otherwise insufficient. However, the side-fired millimeter-wave antenna #734, and optionally the front-fired millimeter-wave antenna #730, may be unobstructed (at least by the user's hands).

Further, because the front- and side-fired antennas are oriented in different directions (e.g., the front-fired antenna radiating generally towards the user and possibly over the user's shoulder and/or around his or her body, and the side-fired antenna radiating away from the user), there is a greater likelihood that at least one of these antennas will be sufficiently directed at a cell tower or other remote antenna to enable wireless communications.

Although the thrust of the patent is about the expanded use of millimeter wave antennas in future iPhones, there are dozens of patent figures describing various aspects of an iPhone from it's depth sensor, to its flash module to its flood illuminator, haptics and much more.

You could review Apple's patent application 20210167487 for more details.

Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.