• Apple Expected to Join LTE Race in 2012

    by
    Anthony Bouchard
    Published on 2011-10-25 08:48 PM
    30 Comments Comments

    Apple may implement LTE into iPhones in 2012.

    It's a rumor that has been circulating for months with the upcoming iPhone 5. News sites of all kinds reported on the iPhone 5 having a 4 inch screen and even 4G support. But, is it really a rumor anymore? Well, yes, but the iPhone 5 didn't even end up coming out this year. The iPhone 4S brought the popular style of the iPhone 4 back into the market with supercharged guts including an A5 dual core processor, 8 megapixel camera, and dual core GPU.

    The iPhone 5 is expected to be the next iPhone. Steve Jobs' last contribution to the company is said to have been the design on the iPhone 5. Engineers at Apple will continue to build and improve whatever it is that they are said to be building, but the next iPhone is said to come with something that a lot of us wanted for the iPhone 4S; 4G LTE.

    No one wants to believe that HSPA+ is 4G, and to technical standards, it really is 3.5G. However, we reported that AT&T is marketing the iPhone 4S as a 4G smartphone on their website. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) states that the definition of 4G service is to include WiMax, LTE and HSPA+. So as of late, it technically can be considered a 4G phone. But, users want something more; LTE. One of the biggest reasons for this is because the CDMA networks don't have any 4G support on the iPhone. Only the GSM carrier, AT&T, has the ability to serve HSPA+ service to those who own the iPhone 4S.

    Apple to the rescue, "Nokia, Apple, RIM and Sony Ericsson are expected to join the LTE club in 2012 as more telecom service providers around the globe are also going to launch LTE services in the coming year" (DigiTimes). Apple, among others, are said to be experimenting this very minute with LTE technology. The hopeful candidate for future cellular service in Apple's handsets. Sprint, which currently has a WiMax 4G network, is expected to roll out LTE services sometime next year. Since Verizon has it already, both of Apple's CDMA carriers will have LTE-ready services for this proposed LTE iPhone 5.

    Why didn't Apple implement LTE into the iPhone 4S though? Why did they wait this long? Apple's Tim Cook answers that by saying that at this point in time, LTE would have caused poor battery life on Apple's handsets. This is the case with almost any LTE phone, of course. Anyone who picks up an HTC Thunderbolt and runs around using heavy loads of 4G LTE knows that their battery percentage commits suicide. Same with an HTC Evo on Sprint's WiMax network. So maybe Apple is finally finding a way around this issue and we will have an iPhone 5 to look forward to next year.

    Will you buy or upgrade to the iPhone 5 if it has 4G LTE? Still no word about a larger screen. Share below!

    Sources: DigiTimes
    This article was originally published in forum thread: Apple Expected to Join LTE Race in 2012 started by Anthony Bouchard View original post
    1. Categories:
    2. iPhone,
    3. iOS,
    4. Apple
    Comments 30 Comments
    1. buttamix's Avatar
      buttamix - 2011-10-25, 08:52 PM
      Here we go again!!!
    1. RICO_'s Avatar
      RICO_ - 2011-10-25, 08:59 PM
      Ah yes. And there once was a thousand rumors that this year's iPhone would have a radically new design......and everybody gobbled it up and wet their pants over it......but we all know how that turned out.

      2012 - iPhone 5/6.....new design....NO LTE.

      2013 - iPhone 5S/6S......no new design......LTE implemented.

      Sorry folks that's just the way it is. And the same people that are gonna tell me I'm wrong are probably the same people who told me I was wrong about saying this year's phone wouldn't feature a new design.
    1. Taz1981's Avatar
      Taz1981 - 2011-10-25, 09:22 PM
      correct me if I am wrong but wont the next iPhone be iphone 6? We had the original 1.iPhone, 2.iPhone 3G, 3.iPhone 3GS, 4.iPhone 4 and now 5.iPhone 4S.
    1. Victor_inox's Avatar
      Victor_inox - 2011-10-25, 09:22 PM
      I don`t care if it`s 4G or 15G. Without bigger screen I`m done with iPhones. Seriously Apple, wake up and make more models, it`s not that hard.My next communication device would be Samsung Note.

      Quote Originally Posted by Victor_inox View Post
      I don`t care if it`s 4G or 15G. Without bigger screen I`m done with iPhones. Seriously Apple, wake up and make more models, it`s not that hard.My next communication device would be Samsung Note.
      And before some started giving me crap about multiple screen resolutions: It`s easy to keep the same resolution with bigger screen.
    1. Aenima133's Avatar
      Aenima133 - 2011-10-25, 09:34 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by RICO_ View Post
      Ah yes. And there once was a thousand rumors that this year's iPhone would have a radically new design......and everybody gobbled it up and wet their pants over it......but we all know how that turned out.

      2012 - iPhone 5/6.....new design....NO LTE.

      2013 - iPhone 5S/6S......no new design......LTE implemented.

      Sorry folks that's just the way it is. And the same people that are gonna tell me I'm wrong are probably the same people who told me I was wrong about saying this year's phone wouldn't feature a new design.
      I think I'm going to disagree here. I believe that the next iPhone will be a redesign and a LTE phone. There's really nothing to say otherwise, so now you're just being a little pessimistic.
    1. tridley68's Avatar
      tridley68 - 2011-10-25, 09:38 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Victor_inox View Post
      I don`t care if it`s 4G or 15G. Without bigger screen I`m done with iPhones. Seriously Apple, wake up and make more models, it`s not that hard.My next communication device would be Samsung Note.



      And before some started giving me crap about multiple screen resolutions: It`s easy to keep the same resolution with bigger screen.
      what ever it will be called and look like we all myself will stand in line to purchase it but a big screen and tear drop shape would be a added bonus.
    1. Kory569's Avatar
      Kory569 - 2011-10-25, 09:40 PM
      I think the next iPhone sold will be LTE. The real question is will AT&T allow us to keep our grandfathered unlimited data if upgraded to any LTE phone.
    1. liquidzoo's Avatar
      liquidzoo - 2011-10-25, 09:42 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Aenima133 View Post
      I think I'm going to disagree here. I believe that the next iPhone will be a redesign and a LTE phone. There's really nothing to say otherwise, so now you're just being a little pessimistic.
      3 points (to the thread, not to the above poster specifically).

      1) AT&T already has an LTE market up, albeit a small one. It's not a leap to say they're "expected" to join a market that they had every intention of joining in the first place.

      2) Regarding iPhone LTE compatibility: it will depend on the rest of the world. The US is not the end all, be all of the cell phone world. If there are large LTE markets out there, then there will be a fair chance of the iPhone supporting it (50/50). If Verizon and AT&T are it (I don't know how other carriers are doing in rolling out their LTE network), I severely doubt it will have LTE in it.

      3) The board that certifies wireless speeds (ITU-R) has already determined LTE is not 4G. It's faster than what we have, but it's not 4G.
    1. Aenima133's Avatar
      Aenima133 - 2011-10-25, 09:44 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by tridley68 View Post
      what ever it will be called and look like we all myself will stand in line to purchase it but a big screen and tear drop shape would be a added bonus.
      Personally if they go any bigger than 4", I'm probably done. And i refuse to buy a Tear Drop designed phone after using this masterpiece of design, aka, iPhone 4(s). Nothing tear dropped could match the beauty and feel of this phone.

      Quote Originally Posted by liquidzoo View Post
      2 points (to the thread, not to the above poster specifically).

      1) AT&T already has an LTE market up, albeit a small one. It's not a leap to say they're "expected" to join a market that they had every intention of joining in the first place.

      2) Regarding iPhone LTE compatibility: it will depend on the rest of the world. The US is not the end all, be all of the cell phone world. If there are large LTE markets out there, then there will be a fair chance of the iPhone supporting it (50/50). If Verizon and AT&T are it (I don't know how other carriers are doing in rolling out their LTE network), I severely doubt it will have LTE in it.
      Alot of the world has LTE, plus sprint is working on going to LTE, so that's alot here in itself. And if AT&T Goes to LTE then we'll definitely see LTE on the next iPhone.
    1. Victor_inox's Avatar
      Victor_inox - 2011-10-25, 09:48 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by tridley68 View Post
      what ever it will be called and look like we all myself will stand in line to purchase it but a big screen and tear drop shape would be a added bonus.
      You are mistaken, I skipped 4S just for that reason. and I owned every iPhone prior to 4S. I don`t need LTE, by the time carriers update their network it will be iPhone 10 time.

      I do need a bigger screen, me and another few million people who switched to Android just for bigger screen.

      I don`t like Ipad - too big to be mobile, too limited to be a real computer. 5" "phone" and macbook air is perfect combination for me.
    1. liquidzoo's Avatar
      liquidzoo - 2011-10-25, 09:49 PM
      Nothing is definite. I knew that Sprint was rolling out an LTE network after they failed to get anyone else (in the world) to buy into WiMAX, but 2 CDMA providers are hardly a drop in the global bucket. I did say, however, that I didn't know what the status was of LTE roll outs in carriers in the rest of the world.
    1. mmurphmsu's Avatar
      mmurphmsu - 2011-10-25, 09:56 PM
      Here's what they ought to do, Put LTE in the next revision of the iPhone but also figure out how to have HSPA+ in there too. That way people who have AT&T, like me and won't have LTE for probably a long time, can still get 3.5G speeds. I myself am switching to Android cause I am tired of having to JB my phone to do what I want to it, but that is another thread.If they could some how figure out LTE & HSPA+ in the same phone that would work great.
    1. feidhlim1986's Avatar
      feidhlim1986 - 2011-10-25, 09:59 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Taz1981 View Post
      correct me if I am wrong but wont the next iPhone be iphone 6? We had the original 1.iPhone, 2.iPhone 3G, 3.iPhone 3GS, 4.iPhone 4 and now 5.iPhone 4S.
      It'll be the 6th iteration of the iPhone, but thats not to say they can't call it the iPhone 5. I see no problem calling iPhone 5.

      Anywho, didn't we expect Apple to join the LTE race in 2011 with iPhone 4S?
      To be perfectly honest, Apple should only bother adding support for LTE only when it's widely available worldwide. Whether that'll happen by mid-late 2012 remains to be seen. But every other phone and its mother will support LTE regardless of the network's ability to give you a speed greater than a few MBps. I'd sad that people will be in awe that their phone supports LTE but their actual data speeds won't exceed that of 3G and their carriers will still have tiny download limits.
    1. confucious's Avatar
      confucious - 2011-10-25, 10:06 PM
      LTE is the way forward - but we wont be getting it here in the UK until 2013 at the earliest.I'm skipping the 4S but will probably end up getting the next iPhone (so long as it doesn't have a bigger screen) as Apple are still way ahead of the competition and every other model has enough improvements to make it worth while.I will check out the competition but can't see anything on the horizon that is likely to make me jump ship - but who knows what will happen between now and then?
    1. sziklassy's Avatar
      sziklassy - 2011-10-25, 10:25 PM
      3g really is fast enough for me. I do not need LTE. I might consider it if I tethered and played MMOs on it (for the better latency LTE provides, not the speed), but I am on the unlimited plan and thus don't tether. If it comes, it comes. If not, I will be just as ok with it.

      Quote Originally Posted by feidhlim1986 View Post
      It'll be the 6th iteration of the iPhone, but thats not to say they can't call it the iPhone 5. I see no problem calling iPhone 5.
      Errrr, there is no logical reason to call it the iPhone 5. It's not the 5th iPhone. There is nothing that would make it the iPhone 5. At this point, 5 is just as good as any other number, really.
    1. Bluemoldycheeze88's Avatar
      Bluemoldycheeze88 - 2011-10-25, 10:41 PM
      Since when does the HTC Evo 4g have LTE? Didn't he say Sprint Currently runs a Wi-Max 4g Network.
    1. mmurphmsu's Avatar
      mmurphmsu - 2011-10-25, 10:54 PM
      Quote Originally Posted by Bluemoldycheeze88 View Post
      Since when does the HTC Evo 4g have LTE? Didn't he say Sprint Currently runs a Wi-Max 4g Network.
      Wi-Max is considered 4G
    1. DaLsim's Avatar
      DaLsim - 2011-10-25, 11:34 PM
      Round and round we go... Where would we stop... No one know...
    1. Mrteacup's Avatar
      Mrteacup - 2011-10-25, 11:36 PM
      Of course it's going to get 4g...
    1. jose060789's Avatar
      jose060789 - 2011-10-25, 11:38 PM
      You see! This is why I'm not going to waste my eligibility upgrade on the iPhone 4s and I'm going for the new iPhone model next year
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