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3rd Gen iPhone to be 4G (LTE) 150mbs down/50mbs up

W

whlphil

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 6, 2008
35
0
Was doing a bit of research into the iphone baseband chip and ended up writing this post for a website

http://www.mygadgetlife.co.uk/start/?p=294

What's your thoughts?

Hasn't the LTE roll out started in the US already?

Do you think this will mean 3rd Gen will be back end of year?
 
Not a chance. Coverage is pretty much nonexistant in the US. Adding it would be a waste of time and money for all parties involved.
 
Not a chance?

The same chip does do 2g, 3g, LTE aswell so dependant on cost i wouldnt see it as much of a change?
 
I'd rather see a WiMax (not a chance though) chip in it since it's already out where I live. LTE seems to be a few years away from being implemented.
 
WiMax is beginning to look like a wasted effort. Clearwire doesn't have the financial backing to roll it out, nor does it have the service to keep its existing customer.
 
LTE might be quicker than you think in deployment

Apparently LTE might well not be deployed in the usual way of upgrading base stations, the thoughts are that carriers will issue femtocells to their customers who also have wired connections as 30 to 40 % of traffic for carriers is from the home and wired traffic is cheaper so the femtocells will be issued to customers for free as they will ease traffic on the wireless network
 
whlphil said:
Was doing a bit of research into the iphone baseband chip and ended up writing this post for a website

http://www.mygadgetlife.co.uk/start/?p=294

What's your thoughts?

Hasn't the LTE roll out started in the US already?

Do you think this will mean 3rd Gen will be back end of year?
Click to expand...

Highly unlikely. In the US AT&T and Verizon are going to be the only LTE carriers and both have said the technology won't be rolled out until late 2009 or mid 2010.

Besides, the most logical path for the next iPhone would be 3.5G which is full HSDPA/HSUPA support.
 
whlphil said:
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/LTE-Rollout-Reverses-Typical-Mobile-Technology-Introduction-97880

3.5g argument? if this chip is rated to be hsupa compliant aswell why not install it from the get go?
Click to expand...

Huh, that article only states about femtocells and picocells of 4G networks. What does it have to do with this?

If you mean why not put 4G in the iPhone even though 4G is not here yet, then, simply because:

1. Overkill
2. Wouldn't be used
3. Business 101... sell 4G when 4G is here.
4. Apple always takes time to do stuff.
 
jav6454 said:
Highly unlikely. In the US AT&T and Verizon are going to be the only LTE carriers and both have said the technology won't be rolled out until late 2009 or mid 2010.
Click to expand...

Verizon is starting this year, but ATT has already said they're not thinking about deploying LTE until at least 2012.

Besides, the most logical path for the next iPhone would be 3.5G which is full HSDPA/HSUPA support.
Click to expand...

Yep, that's what ATT says they want to do instead.
 
CocoaPuffs said:
WiMax is beginning to look like a wasted effort. Clearwire doesn't have the financial backing to roll it out, nor does it have the service to keep its existing customer.
Click to expand...

Don't matter, if they crap out or Sprint doesn't back them someone will buy the band.

Thats wifi speeds up to 60 miles per tower, thats incredible stuff pal.
 
dissdnt said:
Don't matter, if they crap out or Sprint doesn't back them someone will buy the band.

Thats wifi speeds up to 60 miles per tower, thats incredible stuff pal.
Click to expand...

Try using it. Perhaps Clearwire was oversubscribing (in its first month?), but it was indeed one of the slowest speed I ever experienced. For mobile internet may be acceptable, but certainly not broadband worthy.
 
CocoaPuffs said:
WiMax is beginning to look like a wasted effort. Clearwire doesn't have the financial backing to roll it out, nor does it have the service to keep its existing customer.
Click to expand...

Oh, Clearewire? Fail.

Do you not realize how fast 150mbps is? Why... and how? The fastest home broadband they sell in my area is 16mpbs and that is WAY faster than the iPhone is able to process anyways.
 
kdarling said:
Verizon is starting this year, but ATT has already said they're not thinking about deploying LTE until at least 2012.
Click to expand...

Verizon can say what they want, but they know deploying 4G right now will be a mistake. They just came out from deploying EV-DO equivalent of 3.5G. That's a big investment and continuing to invest heavily without letting your corporation save money is a suicidal move that ultimately killed a carrier like Sprint.

Sprint was killed by the fact that they developed their network so much to approach perfect, that they ended up having losses from having to maintain the network. That and add to the mix the horrible Customer service and stupid fees Sprint has customers leave making Sprint not only loose money thru operational costs, but also loose revenue from customers as these are leaving.

Verizon is strong right now, but if there is something history has taught is that a giant like Verizon can fall. Anyways, in the end their gamble may work out, or may not.

Now back to the iPhone part of this. Still, just because Verizon is deploying LTE in 3 markets doesn't mean the iPhone will be LTE next.
 
Eso said:
[16 mbit/s] is WAY faster than the iPhone is able to process anyways.
Click to expand...

Uh... no. From a hardware standpoint, the iPhone is perfectly capable of sending/receiving data at speeds in excess of 16 mbit/s. Problem is, it doesn't have any network interfaces capable of actually sending/receiving that fast. (Yes, I know 802.11g can theoretically do 54 mbit, but the iPhone's chip is throttled down to conserve power.)
 
ppc750fx said:
Uh... no. From a hardware standpoint, the iPhone is perfectly capable of sending/receiving data at speeds in excess of 16 mbit/s. Problem is, it doesn't have any network interfaces capable of actually sending/receiving that fast. (Yes, I know 802.11g can theoretically do 54 mbit, but the iPhone's chip is throttled down to conserve power.)
Click to expand...

Um... duh?

Notice I said "process" (which is a function of the iPhone's "processer") and not "send/recieve".
 
jav6454 said:
Verizon can say what they want, but they know deploying 4G right now will be a mistake.
Click to expand...

In addition, and correct me if I'm wrong here, isn't Verizon planning on using their share of the 700MHz spectrum precisely for LTE? In that case, any timetable they have is directly tied to how long, if at all, our Messiah-elect can delay the analog shutdown. They can't do anything about 4G until the switch occurs.
 
RexTraverse said:
In addition, and correct me if I'm wrong here, isn't Verizon planning on using their share of the 700MHz spectrum precisely for LTE? In that case, any timetable they have is directly tied to how long, if at all, our Messiah-elect can delay the analog shutdown. They can't do anything about 4G until the switch occurs.
Click to expand...

You are right. Right now, the Messiah-elect has trying to postpone shutdown of analog systems until June 1st. So, Verizon's plans will go to the crapper for this year. Also, however, I am not sure if Verizon is planning to use their chunk of the 700MHz for LTE. On the other hand I know AT&T's 700MHz chunk is great for higher speeds than Verizon, that is if AT&T can correctly build their network.
 
I doubt it will be LTE. I'm thinking that it's going to be 3.5G, and the next iPhone after that will be LTE.

Don
 
Eso said:
Um... duh?

Notice I said "process" (which is a function of the iPhone's "processer") and not "send/recieve".
Click to expand...

It seems like you misunderstood me.

The iPhone's processor is certainly capable of handling transfers in excess of 16 mbit. The only reason it currently doesn't is that it doesn't have any network interfaces that send/receive data at that rate.
 
whlphil said:
What's your thoughts?
Click to expand...

Idiotic and impossible.

Hasn't the LTE roll out started in the US already?
Click to expand...

Not in the slightest.

Do you think this will mean 3rd Gen will be back end of year?
Click to expand...

The 3rd-gen iPhone will be out in June. There will be no cell data improvements, but there will be improvements to software and all the other hardware left alone at the last update such as the battery, potentially the camera, and maybe Nike+ integration, as well as improved Bluetooth functionality that software can't add.

The next iPhone isn't about getting us better speed, because there IS no better speed. The idiotic telecoms haven't even finished 3G everywhere yet.

Apple will give us the updates they wanted to give us last time, next.
 
What's with the 3.5G network I've seen mentioned above? Is there a difference between 3G and 3.5G or is that just a fancier way of saying it?

I remember reading that at&t was downgrading their 2G service to provide better 3G coverage and whatnot, could that mean they are trying to boost it to a faster 3.5G speed?
 
=MuLti-CeLL= said:
What's with the 3.5G network I've seen mentioned above? Is there a difference between 3G and 3.5G or is that just a fancier way of saying it?

I remember reading that at&t was downgrading their 2G service to provide better 3G coverage and whatnot, could that mean they are trying to boost it to a faster 3.5G speed?
Click to expand...

- 2G networks = GSM, GPRS and EDGE[Considered 2.75G) (up to theoretical 256 kbps down/up, actual vary but closed to 128 Kbps)
- 3G networks = UMTS (up to theoretical 14.4 Mbps down if HSDPA is present, but currently is able to do 3.6 Mbps)
- 3.5G networks = HSDPA & HSUPA (up to 14.4 Mbps down and 11.5 Mbps up; however, currently HSDPA gets 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA is getting deployed but with initial speeds of 1.2 Mbps)
- 3.75G network = HSPA+ (theoretical 42 Mbps down and 22 Mbps up, actual unknown as no HSPA+ networks are yet deployed)

iPhone is capable of reaching as much speed as the telecom can deliver with 3G technology (around 3.6 Mbps down; don't know up). However, the newer 3.5G technology speeds won't be much useful. An iPhone with 3.5G fully enabled will be able to reach theoretically those 14.4 Mbps down and 11.5 Mbps up.
 
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