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WSJ: upcoming iPhone will not support 4G LTE or WiMAX

by Kelly Hodgkins Oct 4th 2011 at 11:15AM

The Wall Street Journal is chiming in with a last-minute rumor suggesting the iPhone will not support 4G LTE or WiMAX. The next generation Apple handset will be a 3G only device similar to the current iPhone 4. This information contradicts a widely circulating rumor from BGR that claimed the iPhone 5 would support WiMAX and debut as a Sprint exclusive.

This WSJ revelation that the next iPhone will be 3G is not surprising. Earlier this year, Tim Cook confirmed in an earnings conference call that Apple would delay adopting LTE until the second generation chipsets hit the market. The current LTE radios were too bulky to fit the strict design requirements of the iPhone.

The next generation LTE radios may offer a smaller and more energy efficient design that'll accomodate future iPhones. WiMAX is also an unlikely candidate as it is a dying 4G technology. Sprint is expected to turn off its WiMAX network and switch to LTE in the upcoming year.



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The Wall Street Journal is chiming in with a last-minute rumor suggesting the iPhone will not support 4G LTE or WiMAX. The next...
 

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Tetas

Old news from the WSJ, geez.

October 04 2011 at 12:43 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
steve

There are other issues: there are interoperability issues with LTE on different carriers (mostly frequency ranges, but there are a _lot_ of frequency ranges you'd need to cover to really have a "world phone". Even for the US, ATT and Verizon use different ranges, and since their 3G fallbacks are different, Apple would still be stuck with doing multiple versions of phones. Given all the permutations, they may want to wait until things shake out some before deciding on their path into that market.

October 04 2011 at 12:03 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
oklarican

Maybe I'm getting old but I think 3G is just fine. I see 4G/LTE/WiMax and I think higher prices and losing my unlimited data plan. 3G isnt slow, and if a speed boost is needed, connect to the abundant wifi spots.

October 04 2011 at 11:28 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Shannon Doherty

This always made the most sense. I'd be pretty surprised if any iPhone on any carrier had any distinct advantage in hardware or software over another, whether network speed or any other aspect. Everything ought to remain constant and consistent among the iPhone, no matter the carrier. It's one of the iPhone's strengths over other platforms. The only difference between iPhones is if Sprint gets it and offers their unlimited data plan (which they likely will if they get it).

October 04 2011 at 11:21 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
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