I know the current iPhones can work on all 4 GSM frequences (850, 900, 1800, & 1900mhz). But I've read that in some countries 3G data runs on 2100mhz (either in Europe or Australia, I forget). Anyway I was wondering how many frequencies would be needed in the phone for Apple to created a device/phone that could be fully used for 3G everywhere. I wonder if they would try to create such a phone, or if they would make 3G phones that were customized by 3G data freqency by country. Is it possible to have a phone with so many differnt antennas inside? Would that much hardware play together nicely?
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how many frequencies needed for global 3G?
- Thread starter DaveTheRave
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For UMTS (3G) frequencies, you'd need 800MHz and 1900MHz in the US and 2100MHz everywhere else. Only a few phones like the Treo 750 (which I frequently use when traveling outside the country) do these frequencies.
And of course, AT&T's Tilt.
What does China use? Apple really wants into there (and Japan).
the frequency in china does not matter in this context. china is adopting an incompatible 3g technology which they have developed themselves. the technology used in europe, in japan and by att can only be widely deployed after they have network of their own 3g technology in place. maybe sometime 2009.
oh yeah, and i think that there will be two flavors of 3g iphone, one for usa/latin america and another for rest of the world. jobs will say it's because of the frequency differences, but the fact that exporting (cheaper) us iphones will be squashed conviniently as well might have some weight in the decision as well...
Anyone know if a 3G iphone would have worse battery life than the current iphone? I read that 3G is really WCDMA, not really GSM and somehow battery life suffers. Any truth to this?
3G takes more processing power.
The faster anything goes, the more power it takes. That's one part of it.
For example, the CPU used in the iPhone and others, uses about .45 milliWatt per MHz. At its normal 400 MHz then, it's using 180 mW. Doubling the speed would take double the power consumption.