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Apple in Talks with Korea's SK Telecom for iPhone Supporting Faster LTE-Advanced Networks

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Apr 12, 2001
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The Korea Times reports (via Engadget) that Apple and South Korean carrier SK Telecom are in talks regarding a future iPhone that would support faster LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) data networks. Just last week, the carrier announced the launch of the world's first publicly accessible LTE-A network.
"SK Telecom is approaching Apple to put our LTE-A technology on the upcoming iPhone 5S. We are in the middle of negotiations," said an SK Telecom executive, requesting anonymity. [...]

Because Korea has recently seen a huge demand for devices supporting high-speed networks, Apple intends to use Korea as the litmus test to gauge the marketability of LTE-A technology before making inroads into China, according to industry sources.
Click to expand...
LTE-A supports a theoretical maximum download speed of 150 Mbps, twice as fast as the LTE standard used on the iPhone 5, although real-world speeds are in general significantly slower than theoretical maximums.

The report suggests that Apple could release an LTE-A iPhone "in the coming months" on the iPhone 5S, but it seems fairly unlikely that Apple would be prepared to support the standard so soon after beginning negotiations with SK Telecom, even if the company has already been working on the technology.

Article Link: Apple in Talks with Korea's SK Telecom for iPhone Supporting Faster LTE-Advanced Networks
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/07/01/apple-in-talks-with-koreas-sk-telecom-for-iphone-supporting-faster-lte-advanced-networks/
V

vmachiel

macrumors 68000
Feb 15, 2011
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I don't care about peak speeds. Just give me 15, maybe 20 Mbit/s EVERYWHERE, and I'll be very happy. :)
 
Tankmaze

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,704
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apple need to make safari in iOS to be able to download files, to make use of that massive speed.
 
Dwalls90

Dwalls90

macrumors 603
Feb 5, 2009
5,375
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Rather see this bandwidth for higher data plan sizes than stupidly fast rates.

I don't need my LTE to be faster than my home WiFi, if I only get 2GB a month ...
 
dugbug

dugbug

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Aug 23, 2008
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Well its possible. AT&T and Sprint have both published a US LTE-Advanced deployment plan for 2013, and qualcomm has new Gobi chipsets that implement it.


http://www.theverge.com/2011/11/9/2548955/at-t-lte-advanced-deployment-plans-2013

I don't know if the Gobi chips are "apple low power happy" but don't see why they wouldn't be for a fall 2013 phone
http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/27/2827511/qualcomm-gobi-mdm9225-mdm9625-modem-chipsets-lte-advanced

I must admit I had not thought of a wireless radio improvement for the 5S. We have all gotten myopic vision on CPU speed and fingerprint security.
 
chrmjenkins

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
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Qualcomm's latest radio that apple is likely to use next supports LTE-A so it's just a matter of Apple designing in the transceivers, antennas and firmware to support it.
 
T

tasset

macrumors 6502a
May 22, 2007
572
200
The only hardware upgrade the 5S can have that will make me get it is not a faster LTE chip, but 'The One' LTE chip to rule them all. I want to buy one iPhone and hop between any US carrier and hopefully international that I please. Supposedly there is a Qualcomm chip that brings this close to reality and in my opinion when we see multiple colors of iPhones then this chip is inside. I doubt Apple will spread its supply chain across three variations (color, capacity, and carrier).
 
iPhonemaster5S

iPhonemaster5S

macrumors 6502
Oct 10, 2011
354
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Colorado
LTE-A would be awesome for the next iPhone but as we saw it took forever for LTE to be implemented on the iPhone. LTE-A networks aren't even going to be ready in time for a 5S release, so I think its safe to say apple probably won't bring LTE-A with the 5S.
 
nick_elt

nick_elt

macrumors 68000
Oct 28, 2011
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iPhonemaster5S said:
LTE-A would be awesome for the next iPhone but as we saw it took forever for LTE to be implemented on the iPhone. LTE-A networks aren't even going to be ready in time for a 5S release, so I think its safe to say apple probably won't bring LTE-A with the 5S.
Click to expand...

Might be South Korean specific, a big finger to Samsung from Apple
 
osofast240sx

osofast240sx

macrumors 68030
Mar 25, 2011
2,531
5
iPhonemaster5S said:
LTE-A would be awesome for the next iPhone but as we saw it took forever for LTE to be implemented on the iPhone. LTE-A networks aren't even going to be ready in time for a 5S release, so I think its safe to say apple probably won't bring LTE-A with the 5S.
Click to expand...
T-Mobile, att, verzion and sprint will deploy LTE-a before the year is out.
 
C

caonimadebi

macrumors regular
May 7, 2009
216
1
What's the point?

so you can burn through your meager 3GB in under 3 minutes??
When will the carriers understand that $10/GB for wireless data is the biggest bottleneck for most consumers??
 
Menel

Menel

Suspended
Aug 4, 2011
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MacRumors said:
[url=http://cdn.macrumors.com/im/macrumorsthreadlogodarkd.png]Image[/url]


The Korea Times reports (via Engadget) that Apple and South Korean carrier SK Telecom are in talks regarding a future iPhone that would support faster LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) data networks. Just last week, the carrier announced the launch of the world's first publicly accessible LTE-A network.LTE-A supports a theoretical maximum download speed of 150 Mbps, twice as fast as the LTE standard used on the iPhone 5, although real-world speeds are in general significantly slower than theoretical maximums.

The report suggests that Apple could release an LTE-A iPhone "in the coming months" on the iPhone 5S, but it seems fairly unlikely that Apple would be prepared to support the standard so soon after beginning negotiations with SK Telecom, even if the company has already been working on the technology.

Article Link: Apple in Talks with Korea's SK Telecom for iPhone Supporting Faster LTE-Advanced Networks
Click to expand...

150mbps is NOT 'twice as fast as' the 100mbps iPhone 5's LTE modem.

100 to 150 = 50% faster, or 150% speed.

Plenty of people on ATT, Verizon, and others are reporting 60-70mbps speedtests which is right in line with what is expected from a 100mbps link with 30-40% overhead when the RLC, RRC, and PDCP protocol bits are taken into account for each packet to provide robust data over wireless.
 
A

awulf

macrumors 6502
Mar 1, 2002
486
2
South Australia
Menel said:
150mbps is NOT 'twice as fast as' the 100mbps iPhone 5's LTE modem.

100 to 150 = 50% faster, or 150% speed.

Plenty of people on ATT, Verizon, and others are reporting 60-70mbps speedtests which is right in line with what is expected from a 100mbps link with 30-40% overhead when the RLC, RRC, and PDCP protocol bits are taken into account for each packet to provide robust data over wireless.
Click to expand...

I can back your statement my fastest result, 88.66Mb/s down:
http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/i/574373924
 
A

appleisking

macrumors 6502a
May 24, 2013
658
3,022
Meh why would you ever need such speeds. LTE has already reached bandwith speeds that will enable web browsing on a phone as fast as a computer. Do we really need more? Now, if we can somehow have carriers significantly reduce prices on their networks, so that people an actually not be afraid of burning through their data plans, then maybe we can start talking about this.
 
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