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Verizon to Require 4G LTE Compatibility for 'All' Future Smartphones
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I'll be very surprised if the next iPhone/iPad doesn't have LTE, and it has nothing to do with this news from Verizon nor whether it comes out in June or October. I wasn't surprised at all that the 4S didn't have it, but between newer chipsets and other advancements, I think Apple will be able to put out an LTE iPhone with battery life that is at least as good as the 4 and 4S (well, those with 4S's that aren't having the battery issues
).
With the iPad, I don't think it'll be nearly as difficult for them to match iPad 2 battery performance. There's a lot more space to work with in an iPad when it comes to antenna and battery design. Who knows, maybe the rumored slight increase in depth is due to the rumored larger battery? I don't put too much stock in most rumors, but it'd make sense, especially if the newer LTE chip still sucks more juice than they'd like. And if they do end up releasing he next iPhone in October again, perhaps by then another round of even more power efficient LTE chips will be available to allow them to implement it in the iPhone without design or battery life compromise.
Also, don't forget that most of these other Android phones with LTE not only have the older chipsets but they also typically have much bigger screens. I also can't help but think that the hardware and software won't be nearly as refined at running on an LTE network. Given that Apple puts out one major phone redesign every other year, I'd venture to guess that a great deal more effort will be put into getting LTE right as opposed to just getting it in the phone.
Remember the months leading up to the iPad? No one would've thought that Apple would put out a tablet with a 10" screen with 10 hours of battery life for $499. Analysts were expecting a lot less out of the iPad for a whole lot more money. And to this day, no other tablet maker has produced anything that's caught up with the iPad's performance. So why should we assume that just because Android phones with LTE have poor battery life than an iPhone with LTE will have poor battery life too? It's the silliest of assumptions at this point if you ask me, whether the chips suck more juice or not. The chip is only one factor in the design equation and I have no doubt that Apple is fully capable of designing around the chip on some level to put out an iPhone this year that matches the iPhone 4/4S in battery performance.
But everything else aside, I don't believe for a second that Verizon would put this out there if they didn't know that their now number one selling phone was getting the LTE treatment this year. I think Verizon justifiably has a bit more of an ego than the other carriers given their massive subscriber base and top-notch network. They gave a lot up (in their mind) to sell the iPhone and they seem a bit more willing to comment on the future of the iPhone than AT&T was. I bet they like being able to steal a bit of thunder from Apple when it relates directly to the way the phone works with the carriers. Just like last year when they confirmed far in advance that the next iPhone would be a world phone that would work on all carriers. They obviously know the score on the next iPhone having LTE or not simply because they have to test the thing on the networks, and while they probably got scolded for commenting directly on the iPhone last year, making an announcement like this allows them to address the issue as a carrier without directly addressing the iPhone.
Again, the next iPhone will have LTE, and it'll work great.
With the iPad, I don't think it'll be nearly as difficult for them to match iPad 2 battery performance. There's a lot more space to work with in an iPad when it comes to antenna and battery design. Who knows, maybe the rumored slight increase in depth is due to the rumored larger battery? I don't put too much stock in most rumors, but it'd make sense, especially if the newer LTE chip still sucks more juice than they'd like. And if they do end up releasing he next iPhone in October again, perhaps by then another round of even more power efficient LTE chips will be available to allow them to implement it in the iPhone without design or battery life compromise.
Also, don't forget that most of these other Android phones with LTE not only have the older chipsets but they also typically have much bigger screens. I also can't help but think that the hardware and software won't be nearly as refined at running on an LTE network. Given that Apple puts out one major phone redesign every other year, I'd venture to guess that a great deal more effort will be put into getting LTE right as opposed to just getting it in the phone.
Remember the months leading up to the iPad? No one would've thought that Apple would put out a tablet with a 10" screen with 10 hours of battery life for $499. Analysts were expecting a lot less out of the iPad for a whole lot more money. And to this day, no other tablet maker has produced anything that's caught up with the iPad's performance. So why should we assume that just because Android phones with LTE have poor battery life than an iPhone with LTE will have poor battery life too? It's the silliest of assumptions at this point if you ask me, whether the chips suck more juice or not. The chip is only one factor in the design equation and I have no doubt that Apple is fully capable of designing around the chip on some level to put out an iPhone this year that matches the iPhone 4/4S in battery performance.
But everything else aside, I don't believe for a second that Verizon would put this out there if they didn't know that their now number one selling phone was getting the LTE treatment this year. I think Verizon justifiably has a bit more of an ego than the other carriers given their massive subscriber base and top-notch network. They gave a lot up (in their mind) to sell the iPhone and they seem a bit more willing to comment on the future of the iPhone than AT&T was. I bet they like being able to steal a bit of thunder from Apple when it relates directly to the way the phone works with the carriers. Just like last year when they confirmed far in advance that the next iPhone would be a world phone that would work on all carriers. They obviously know the score on the next iPhone having LTE or not simply because they have to test the thing on the networks, and while they probably got scolded for commenting directly on the iPhone last year, making an announcement like this allows them to address the issue as a carrier without directly addressing the iPhone.
Again, the next iPhone will have LTE, and it'll work great.
good for verizon. i like the push. the next iphone really needs to have LTE anyways, including the next iPad!
what if the big three all got together and stopped selling it, along with the ipad. granted this would never happen, but you act like apple has everyone wrapped around their finger and there is no way for apple to get hurt. ios is only so good. android is a much better platform. carriers have a little bit of say in what happens, and the functionality of android makes ios look like a kiddie toy. sorry to speak the truth on an apple rumors forum. :rolleyes.
there would be many pee'd off people if they couldnt buy a new iphone. but there would be exponentially more that would say, "omg, what have i been missing... this isnt so bad" ice cream sandwich is going to be a beast folks. stability is all that is left that ios holds over android, and ics should have that part just about licked.
as far as 4g battery life goes the razr maxx is about to be released and motorola is boasting 21 hours of normal use in the same ultra thin chassis, which is way more than a lot of 4s users are getting without lte bleeding it dry. give lte a chance, the battery life is getting much better.
verizon has done a good thing by demanding this. there is no doubt in my mind they are kinda pissed that the glorious iphone isnt capable of using their bread and butter network.
may the thumbs down for honesty commence.
You forget Apple's patents regarding iPhone are starting to be officially approved by the USPTO. Good luck Android...
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387401,00.asp
http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/01/09/why-apple-is-in-no-hurry-to-settle-its-iphone-patent-suits/
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patent...iphone-patent-for-editing-lists-and-more.html
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-20125417-233/apple-wins-slide-to-unlock-patent/
Of course even if Android is reengineered with workarounds, will users still have to contend with...
Malware apps...
First in March 2011...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4186732...lware-infects-more-android-apps/#.Tw98j3PI7_Q
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/securit...s-infected-apps-from-android-market-40092018/
And again in June...
http://www.pcworld.com/article/229263/google_clearing_up_more_android_malware.html
Good luck updating your phone OS...
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile...alaxy-sgalaxy-tab-ice-cream-sandwich-upgrade/
http://blogs.computerworld.com/19341/android_40_upgrade_list
Finally, Android is open...
http://www.tomsguide.com/us/google-android-open-software-honeycomb,news-10695.html
Is Android going to be wiped off the face of the earth? Probably not, but I wouldn't want to take a chance on it...
Verizon's LTE bread and butter?... Maybe eventually...
http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile...hat-being-a-pioneer-comes-with-growing-pains/
Truth, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder!
May the thumbs up for the truth commence!
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got tired of reading after the first page...
you all realize that Verizon makes little to nothing off the actual phone sales right? They make their money off of plans. And, despite Apple being profit kings(which is irrelevant to Verizon), Android is king in market share. Verizon really doesn't care what phone you have as long as it's on their plan and if more Android handsets get people on their network do you really think they'll bend over backwards to please Apple? If anything there's more benefit to Apple to be on the nations largest carrier than vice versa.
Sorry if it had been said already in the pages i didn't read.
you all realize that Verizon makes little to nothing off the actual phone sales right? They make their money off of plans. And, despite Apple being profit kings(which is irrelevant to Verizon), Android is king in market share. Verizon really doesn't care what phone you have as long as it's on their plan and if more Android handsets get people on their network do you really think they'll bend over backwards to please Apple? If anything there's more benefit to Apple to be on the nations largest carrier than vice versa.
Sorry if it had been said already in the pages i didn't read.
And in order to move plans to consumers, they need market share. When you get past service, price etc., you have phone selection. Believe it or not, people want the iPhone and went to or stayed with Verizon because of it. The carriers need the handset manufacturers and vice versa. If they didn't need the handset manufacturers, they wouldn't agree to subsidize a phone that cost three times its BOM.
I agree they need each other, but 90% of the posts here made it sound like Verizon needs to bow down to Apple to allow them to service their phones. I don't think that's the case. It is just as advantageous for Apple to be on Verizon as it is for Verizon to carry the iPhone.
Forced to use the Verizon 4G LTE? I hope Verizon fixes that network. 4 major outages in December alone....not a good track record.
This either gauruntees that the 'iPhone 5' will come with LTE or that Verizon won't be having the pleasure of servicing the next iPhone.
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1. That's pretty subjective. I could say iOS is better. You can say Android is better. Are either of us wrong? No, they are both opinions. So don't say "Android is better" like it's a fact.
2. Again, subjective. There are some features that Android has that iOS doesn't, like customization and widgets, and there are some features that iOS has that Android doesn't, like iTunes, iBooks, App Store, iCloud sync, Siri, robust enterprise and accessibility features, and iMessage. (There are probably more for each operating system.) Plus, you could have simply said "Android has more features" instead of putting down an operating system that many people use and enjoy.
3. What about malware? What about simplicity and ease of use (hard to quantify, but most can agree iOS requires virtually no instruction, while Android requires a learning curve)? What about integration with Apple's services? What about pretty much guaranteed software compatibility for at least a few major updates? I could go on...
4. "A lot" of 4S users? I'm pretty sure more 4S users have good battery life than bad. (I couldn't find an article going either way, but I doubt more than 50% of users are affected.) Plus, Apple confirmed (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/?p=80801) that the issues are software-related, so they can be fixed in an update. Also, you said LTE's battery life drain is improving... yes, just in time for Apple to come out with an LTE- enabled phone. (By the way, I hear at least on AT&T, the 4S gets HSPA+, which is a form of "4G" and is pretty fast.)
5. I'd say their 3G is their bread and butter network, since it covers the most area. LTE is, however, probably their fastest network, so if that's what you meant...
6. I dislike it when people say stuff like this. It's like saying, "I know I'll get downvoted, but if I say this, then the downvotes won't matter, because then they're just being iSheep." Just say what you want and take the heat if it comes.
Just going to point out to you that the power usage for the 3G chips when the first iPhone was released and the 3G was about the same which means that the power usage argument was crap. The real reason is the cost of the chip dropped a lot. It is all about padding Apple profit margins and nothing about power savings.
LTE is just moving a lot faster than 3G and I do not see Apple getting the chance to pad the margins.
Android's very success today is in great part due to Apple not having been on Verizon earlier. Somehow I doubt Apple is too happy about that regardless of how well the 4S did. Just saying...
There's no such thing as a "4G data plan". For now at least, as far as Verizon is concerned there is no difference between 3G and 4G data. You can (and I did) upgrade from a 3G phone to a 4G phone and retain unlimited data.
Not sure about the "ratified standard" but do you really need more than 14-18 megs download speed on your phone? That is what we have seen with the new Droid Bionics that our office got a few months ago.
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No, you are mistaken.
I agree. I'm going to require all new smartphones I buy to be at least LTE. Nothing sucks worse than paying top dollar for slow internet.
Well, bean counters are now playing a more prominent role in the company since Jobs passed away. So I hope they don't make a huge blunder and skip the 4G just because their profit margins might shrink. Lets face it, the droid phones offer a decent (some say better) experience, so remaining on the slow data standard might drive some fanboys over to the dark side.
The referenced article didn't mention when it started.
Speculation on my part. It probably means for new devices intended for Verizon's approval, and I would think that the iPad 3 has already started that process.
So, unfortunately, the iPad 3 probably isn't LTE. So if I upgrade to it from the original, I won't have an LTE one for a few years.
That must be some mighty fast dialup you have sir...
It is a give and take relationship. If it wasn't we wouldn't have a 20MB download limit in the App Store.
It would be nice if the carriers didn't subsidize phones. Maybe then prices for unlocked handsets would come down. It would be even better if carriers adopted the subsidy model of the EU. The more your monthly payment the more you get in subsidy...
Android is successful because it brings smart phone features for less money. There is Android handsets, barely more expensive than a regular "dumb" phone. Besides .. the US is not the world. Android is very sucessfully sold main major networks that had the iPhone for the longest time.
T.
Both points are true. As a perspective iPhone user, I bought a droid with my previous upgrade before the iPhone 4 came out for VZW. I think your point is a reason for Android's staying power.
There is nothing in Verizon's statement that says they can't continue to sell older models for an extended period of time. Those "iPhone at any cost folks" ...... iPhone 4S until Apple gets their act together. Parts shouldn't be a problem.
1. The carriers don't pay .... the consumers pay. It is actually not a subsidize but a payment plan. There is nothing to stop the carrier from getting a loan if can't pay all of the upfront money ( and consumers pay that interest costs too. )
The "cost lowering" is to suck people into paying more for the phone than they would if bothered to do some simiple math.
2. If there is no network there is nothing to sell the phone on. Folks can poo-poo the CMDA networks if they wish but Apple needs those customers to continue on the growth path. The iPhone is already slowing down. If pull Verizon (and other CDMA folks out) it would slow down faster. All Microsoft (and RIM and lessor extent Android ) needs now is a window.
Riiiight. Apple made a CDMA phone so it could be on Verizon.
If it came down to scorched earth policy, apple needs the carriers more than the carriers need apple. If the carriers decide one day to stop selling iphone then apple is screwed. Without the carriers cooperation no one will buy an iphone. Verizon would be more than happy selling its own branded droids to everyone.
Unlikely. Nice try though. I think this sums it up best.
Hint: read the red letters in the photo.
"Confused Android User"
The Chinese almost riot over the iPhone 4S
http://www.macgasm.net/2012/01/13/c...eed&utm_campaign=Feed:+macgasm/main+(Macgasm)