Apple Testing LTE in iOS 5 and Hiring More LTE Engineers

[MacRumors]

Early last week, Boy Genius Report claimed that Apple has been testing a 4G LTE-enabled iPhone with carriers, and pointed to an "internal iOS test build" of one of Apple's major mobile partners. In that build was a property list file (.plist) for LTE. BGR believed that this meant that Apple was already testing LTE hardware in the field.

LTE is the term the next generation wireless broadband network that is currently being deployed by both Verizon and AT&T. Data speeds for LTE should be significantly faster than the iPhone's existing 3G network.

We've since discovered the same LTE plist file in at least the last couple of developer builds of iOS 5. This LTE.plist file was found only in some of the builds (GSM iPhone 4, CDMA iPad 2, but not their counterparts). It raises the question whether or not the "internal iOS test build" was anything special or if it just mirrored the general developer release.




Despite this not being the only LTE-related Apple news we heard last week, it still unlikely that Apple will make the jump to LTE so early with the iPhone 5.

Engadget also posted a photo from a source who claimed that AT&T had installed 4G LTE equipment in a major Apple retail store. AT&T provides Apple with equipment to enhance phone coverage in their stores, so the suggestion is that AT&T is boosting LTE signals in anticipation of some Apple-related hardware.

And late last week, Forbes pointed out that Apple had put out a job listing for field test engineers with expertise in LTE.

Field testing in the wireless industry typically means going outside ("into the field") with a new cellphone and measuring its signal strength. It is an integral step that phone makers must take before releasing products to the public.

While Apple often lists LTE amongst other testing protocols in any iPhone-relate job application, this job title was written to emphasize LTE technology specifically.

The reason LTE is unlikely to arrive, however, in the 2012 iPhone is based on comments by Apple's Tim Cook about the state of LTE chipsets earlier this year. Cook said that the first generation of LTE chipsets forced a lot of design compromises, and Apple was unwilling to make those compromises. Those compromises likely referred to the high power requirements of current generation LTE chipsets that can result in very short battery life for mobile phones.

The LTE chipset that is believed to be the one that Apple plans on using for the iPhone is the upcoming Qualcomm MDM9615. That chipset was announced in February and is said to start "sampling" in late 2011. A leak of Qualcomm's 2011-2012 roadmap in July pinpointed the release of the MDM9615 to Q2 2012, likely putting it in line for the iPhone 6.

Article Link: Apple Testing LTE in iOS 5 and Hiring More LTE Engineers

[The Beatles]

hmm.

[bb426]

They said so themselves that they're "sampling" the Qualcomm chips in late 2011.

Stop thinking LTE iPhone 5. It's not happening. If it does, 's will fly.

[jav6454]

This is the 1st Gen iPhone vs 3G dilemma all over again.

[coolbreeze]

Of course they are going LTE. Duh.

Now, to think the IP5, which is rumored to release in just over 39 days will have LTE, is insane.

So, it will be an IP4S with good 'ol 3G.

[MacNewsFix]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Despite this not being the only LTE-related Apple news we heard last week, it still unlikely that Apple will make the jump to LTE so early with the iPhone 5.

Yep, but I'm still going to buy one.

[canucksfan88]

i have said this before. i know the odds are probably slim but apple could have worked with engineers and LTE antenna manufacturers to develop a more efficient LTE chip.

this is the only way i see LTE making its way into the iPhone 5/4GS

[pewra]

Originally Posted by canucksfan88

i have said this before. i know the odds are probably slim but apple could have worked with engineers and LTE antenna manufacturers to develop a more efficient LTE chip.

this is the only way i see LTE making its way into the iPhone 5/4GS

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

[yodaxl7]

Originally Posted by pewra

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

How about China Mobile? They have an enormous amounts of subscribers! I suspect Apple ordered an enormous amounts of the 2nd gen LTE and Qualcomm delayed its launch till Q2 for the rest of the tech world. Wishful thinking for sure!

[CFreymarc]

Originally Posted by The Beatles

hmm.

My God, it's full of stars!

[jmmo20]

Originally Posted by pewra

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

Seriously? LTE deployment started much earlier in parts of europe than in the US. There are already commercial LTE tests being run in Northern Europe and other parts of europe well before deployment started in the US.

[bushido]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; de-de) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Originally Posted by pewra

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

LTE works just fine on Vodafone and tmobile in Germany. mostly targeted for rural areas with no broadband

[Mackan]

I think they are preparing for testing the iPhone 6 which will support LTE. The iPhone 5 was done testing long ago. They always start the work on the next iPhone one year ahead of release.

[Lennholm]

Originally Posted by pewra

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

Outside the us? A lot of countries are much further ahead in the establishment of LTE than the US.

Isn't it obvious that this is what they're working on for iPhone 6? We already know that Apple is always working on the next 2 generations of the iPhone

[Otaviano]

Originally Posted by pewra

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

You got that backwards pal, the first 4G networks were running in northern Europe long before any American 4G rollout. Besides a 4G iPhone would fall back to 3G networks where 4G isn't available.

[boss1]

"Unlikely" may not be true anymore. Yes Apple tends to be reserved in adopting some standards; obviously this was the case with Apple choosing not to adopt 3G when the 1st gen iPhone made it's debut.

However, Apple is also known to push some standards out prematurely, as well as being on the front line in putting an ax to standards it no longer sees relevant.

The answer to which Apple will do may be answered by the following question:
Is the standard going to improve the product?
-so if getting rid of the standard (ie, floppy disc) is going to allow Apple to improve the product, they'll happily chuck it.
-if the standard is going to ruin the product, (ie, 3G not ready and causing battery life issues) then Apple will stick to what works.


I think the question is difficult to answer because we don't know the outcomes of Apple's LTE testing.
Long story short, I wouldn't put it past Apple to release the iPhone 5 as an LTE phone. As long as the complex answer to the simple question "Is it going to improve the product" is a favorable answer.

[Nicolas4ever]

iPhone 5 is coming!!!
(i do think that it may have LTE because of the equipement they installed in the apple stores)

[DrJohnnyN]

LTE, now.

[ECUpirate44]

Of course their testing LTE, for the iPhone 6.

[Day48]

Steve going to get up on stage and announce that the iPhone 5 is availible with LTE, but not for AT&T and Verizon until Summer of 2012...

[swagi]

Originally Posted by pewra

It's not even the power requirements so much, outside the US (yes, still part of the world) there is next to no network infrastructure to support such a device.

Don't know about your German knowledge, but...

LTE is live in Cologne, Germany. Not rural, not projected or set to release somewhere 2012...LIVE. According to a news from heise-online the area with LTE coverage in Cologne was 150 square km in July.

Telekom also states, that 100 cities are set to receive LTE-coverage in the near future.

Here you can have look on an interactive LTE-coverage map by Telekom

Low and behold - the future is here (and I won't buy anything but a LTE-device in the future)

Edit: Just drag around the map of Germany and then start to repeat the mantra: Yes, LTE is live in Europe. Yes, LTE is live in Europe. Yes, LTE is live in Europe.

[rockinred]

LTE is launching everywhere in the US. If the iPhone 5 does not have the capabilities for 4g it will be a flop. They might as well just hold off on launching it. Sure a different phone will be fine, but on a 3g when 4g is available. Forget it!

[bushido]

LTE is avab in my area, even on top of the mountain ^^

[ArtOfWarfare]

Originally Posted by Nicolas4ever

iPhone 5 is coming!!!
(i do think that it may have LTE because of the equipement they installed in the apple stores)

This is a good point. If Apple were only testing LTE, they wouldn't deploy the LTE equipment to their stores so far in advance of the release of a product that would use it. Apple would deploy it on their own campus to test it, not in their stores worldwide.

[Lennholm]

Originally Posted by Nicolas4ever

iPhone 5 is coming!!!
(i do think that it may have LTE because of the equipement they installed in the apple stores)

Good point! Still, I'll be surprised if the iPhone 5 actually does have LTE.

Originally Posted by rockinred

LTE is launching everywhere in the US. If the iPhone 5 does not have the capabilities for 4g it will be a flop. They might as well just hold off on launching it. Sure a different phone will be fine, but on a 3g when 4g is available. Forget it!

It will not flop at all. Apple can cut any features they want and people will still buy it because it's an iPhone. The vast majority of consumers don't know the difference between 3G and 4G anyway or even what data plan they're on, they just happily signed whatever contract they had to to get that iPhone.