LTE Unlikely to Arrive in iPhone Until at Least Q3 2012

[mrelwood]

So that right there says iPhone 5 in February / March 2012

That would be nasty cool, but I don't think the next one will be out before the new all-in-one chips are available, so it might actually be as late as Oct 2012. iOS 5.3 could be out in the spring and offer some new candy to chew on for the remaining time.

And there's not going to be an iPhone 5. No point calling the sixth iPhone a five. iPhone LTE is far from a good name, but I'm afraid that's what we'll get.

 

[aristotle]

I think some of us were saying even last year that LTE on Verizon was being rushed out and that you would end up with LTE handsets that only work on one carrier even though they are called "LTE" because they would be using either legacy GSM or CDMA stacks.

True LTE with integrated voice is still a way a way so Verizon would have been better off implementing HSPA+ since LTE is an evolution of HSPA+ (aka UMTS) as a stepping stone like the CDMA carriers in Canada and Australia have done.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Makes sense. The next iPhone will be just like the original iPhone --> iPhone 3G. Only a couple new features including LTE and a new form factor, then they'll come out with a more substantial iPhone 5S.

 

[Trash Can]

This is precisely why I was willing to buy a 4 a year ago. Not only do I get a grandfathered unlimited plan on Verizon, my upgrade date will be just when the LTE iPhone is released.

Are you sure about that? Technically, you have an unlimited 3G data plan. While VZW does not differentiate between 3G and 4G/LTE data plans now, what's going to prevent them from doing so in the future? As LTE becomes available in more markets, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of VZW charging a premium or forcing you into tiered plan for LTE. Something to think about....

 

[monoskier]

I've had the iPhone 4 on AT&T since it came out, but I will be getting the 4S. Why you ask? Because AT&T can take their overpriced plans and capped data and shove it up their ***. Sprint with unlimited data and an overall cheaper bill, here I come. I will just sell my current 32g iPhone 4 and be out nothing. Simple.

This is at least the 3rd time you've posted this exact same thing in different threads. We get it. AT&T = $$$, Sprint = $$.

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iPhone 4S is much slower than LTE Android phones on Verizon, WiMax Android phones on Sprint and LTE Android phones on AT&T. I am sorry, were you talking about Zimbabwe?

And you know this on what real world tests exactly?

 

[firewood]

You do realize that the antenna design is the same as the Verizon iPhone right?

There's a lot more to antenna performance than how it looks. No one's yet done a tear-down to see how they feed/switch/match/counter-plane/etc. the merely visible portions of the antenna bands.

 

[bennettave]

tick-tock

doesn't it seem to make sense that apple might tick-tock the iPhone. Major releases might hold interest longer (>1 year before refresh) with minor releases holding the top spot for less than a year.

i'd expect major releases in june and minor releases in october.

if my logic holds, the iPhone5 will be here in June 2012.

what do you guys think?

 

[heisetax]

A current model

I believe Siri / iCloud are the two reasons the phone got delayed. The hardware was the easy part this year, but the software needed time to mature. Siri is still in BETA as we speak.

On top of that, pushing the phone back this year makes sense for future releases. It's a win, win for Apple, but a loss for everyone still running around with a 3GS .

But your 3GS is still a currently selling iPhone. Why do you need to replace it? Apple says it's still good enough to sell. I thought that everyone here took what Apple says as the gospel.

 

[kingpin86]

File this under obvious. For those of us with half a brain and the ability not to be distracted by shiny objects, it was fairly obvious what Apple was releasing yesterday. These ridiculous expectations people are living with are absurd.

Yeah, they are going to completely redesign the best selling handset in the world after one generation. That is so howl at the moon stupid, I just don't get where people actually believed it. How do you people put pants on in the morning without help?

The iPhone 4 design is legen... wait for it... dary! A glass and stainless steel sandwich? Come one! I'd rather see Macs starting to copy that then the iPhone going unibody (snore). I hate design changes just for the sake of design changes, especially when the design is the iPhone 4!

And for the love of god, if you want a giant screen, buy a freaking iPad. I'd like to keep my phone in my pocket without a giant bulge (ok without another one lol yeah right!)

Am I the only one out there that doesn't want to change the form factor? Am I the only one that doesn't care about a giant screen on my phone?

Bottom line, haters gotta hate!

Finally someone who has half a brain on his head....

You're so right, those who thought a redesigned iPhone was coming out should be slapped.

Let's see here, Apple puts money into redesigning a whole new phone, then decides to redesign it the year later???

Silly geek.

Either way, you whiners should shut up.

You can now have a Phone, a full 1080p video camera, a crazy 8mp camera, an insane gaming device, and so much more inside this small little device.


Go buy a big nasty evo if you want a bigger screen. Those things are disgusting.


If you think you're so good, start up your own company and make own own damn phone.


Maybe if you wouldn't believe rumors like they were fact, then you wouldn't be in this problem.

All it took was a little common sense to know what was coming out.

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

apple is more concerned with stock price than innovation. i'll pick up a nexus prime in the meantime.

If that was the case, we would have seen the iPhone 5.

 

[marklachance]

And for the love of god, if you want a giant screen, buy a freaking iPad. I'd like to keep my phone in my pocket without a giant bulge (ok without another one lol yeah right!)

Exactly.

 

[bacaramac]

I think we will see LTE iphone next year as is obvious and I am really hoping for a larger screen. I don't want anything huge, just 3.7-8 screen and I would be happy. Plus I think that size screen allows Apple to keep the "retina" branding as it would still be above the threshold they set for DPI and being able to see pixels with 20/20 vision at 11" or so.

In terms of upgrading every year to a new phone. I do this every year without fail. I sell my iPhone before the events and get $500 plus for it. That gives me enough to pay ETF and get new one. I haven't had an issue yet not getting my money back although I used to make money before the ETF's went up with AT&T. In the mean time, I am loving my $10 AT&T go phone from Wal-Mart. Lol

 

[heisetax]

What's the S for

iPhone 4S is much slower than LTE Android phones on Verizon, WiMax Android phones on Sprint and LTE Android phones on AT&T. I am sorry, were you talking about Zimbabwe?

I was wondering if the S in 4S means SLOW.

 

[QCassidy352]

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Does it matter if Apple 4S is as fast as the other 4G phones
(but with the iPhone has much longer battery life)

iPhone 4S is much slower than LTE Android phones on Verizon, WiMax Android phones on Sprint and LTE Android phones on AT&T. I am sorry, were you talking about Zimbabwe?

14.4 on AT&T > wimax. And AT&T hardly has an LTE network. Verizon LTE is another story, as it's both widespread and clearly faster.

 

[MightyMac007]

A6 and possibly iOS 6 in the iPhone 5? I guess we can say goodbye to uniformity.

Why do we need uniformity? I don't understand why everyone is so butt-hurt over the device name and iOS being the same? Really...is it THAT big of a deal? i mean, I'm OCD, but even this seems a little too much to worry about...

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I've had the iPhone 4 on AT&T since it came out, but I will be getting the 4S. Why you ask? Because AT&T can take their overpriced plans and capped data and shove it up their ***. Sprint with unlimited data and an overall cheaper bill, here I come. I will just sell my current 32g iPhone 4 and be out nothing. Simple.

Now, who wants to speculate as to how slow the iPhone will be on sprints network or how bogged down it will become ? Lol

I'm thinking Sprint's Unlimited Everything will go away with the iPhone on it's network. I don't have any proof...it's just my gut feeling.

But yeah, if they keep it Unlimited I think the network will suffer.

apple is more concerned with stock price than innovation. i'll pick up a nexus prime in the meantime.

Innovation isn't near-4G/4G speeds over 3G?

IMO there was no reason for Apple to put LTE in the iPhone S. There isn't enough carriers around the world at this point that use LTE. What's the point in LTE in this gen of phones if most people around the world can't use it?

You are not the only one. I totally agree

Thirded.

I live somewhere that will possibly get LTE soon. Hell, we may already have it, but I don't care until MOST places that I go have it. So I don't think LTE will be a huge selling point to me until it's as widespread as 3G.

 

[Dr. Weezil]

Availability of chips is one thing, a network to run the handsets on is entirely something else, which, AT&T and Sprint doesn't have.

As for the delay, people keep forgetting about the earthquake in Japan that put a huge damper on semiconductor development and manufacturing earlier this year.

 

[chrmjenkins]

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14.4 on AT&T > wimax. And AT&T hardly has an LTE network. Verizon LTE is another story, as it's both widespread and clearly faster.

Theoretically. AT&T doesn't have the backhaul in a vast majority of places.

 

[HelveticaRoman]

Wouldn't this site be better named phonerumors to better reflect the vast majority of its interest and content?

 

[RalfTheDog]

Theoretically. AT&T doesn't have the backhaul in a vast majority of places.

ATT is building backhaul quite quickly. They should have everywhere that is fiber accessible upgraded quite soon.

 

[heisetax]

Preorder

Thanks - I have the problem with not being able to use voice and data simultaneously with my Verizon Blackberry today and can live with it.

I think I will switch to the 4S - although maybe a month from now, I'm not much for standing in line

Just preorder it then!

 

[lilo777]

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14.4 on AT&T > wimax. And AT&T hardly has an LTE network. Verizon LTE is another story, as it's both widespread and clearly faster.

This does not help Sprint customers, does it? Besides, AT&T does not have 14.4 on H+. It's about 2Mbps where I live and by many accounts this seems to be the prevailing speed for most of the US. A few cities have better speeds but nowhere near 14.4

 

[akuma13]

doesn't it seem to make sense that apple might tick-tock the iPhone. Major releases might hold interest longer (>1 year before refresh) with minor releases holding the top spot for less than a year.

i'd expect major releases in june and minor releases in october.

if my logic holds, the iPhone5 will be here in June 2012.

what do you guys think?

I doubt it, it makes sense why apple moved the iPhone release to fall (to get into the holiday shopping season, ts their best selling product)

I would be also surpassed if the iPhone 5 will have LTE. The networks will finally catch up to their LTE promises by the end of next year or spring 2013. Perfect year to release a iPhone 5S with LTE.

 

[bacaramac]

This does not help Sprint customers, does it? Besides, AT&T does not have 14.4 on H+. It's about 2Mbps where I live and by many accounts this seems to be the prevailing speed for most of the US. A few cities have better speeds but nowhere near 14.4

Apple was clear during presentation that 14.4 is the max the chipset can handle, but I have never hit anything higher then 2.5 on my iPhone 4 and that was a one time shot and I have never hit anything higher then 1.1 here in Phoenix, AZ.

 

[blackhand1001]

The 4S being slower than those phones mostly has to do with AT&T and not the iPhone. In a lot of cases it won't really be slower than AT&T LTE phones because the backhaul isn't there to push the LTE phone past the 14.4 Mbps limit.

You'll be lucky to break a megabit on the 4s if your lucky. Don't listen to those theoretical numbers apple gave you. They are complete BS. Its a 3g phone and its not going to get 14mbps.

 

[iBug2]

You'll be lucky to break a megabit on the 4s if your lucky. Don't listen to those theoretical numbers apple gave you. They are complete BS. Its a 3g phone and its not going to get 14mbps.

Depends on the location, not the phone.