More Claims of 4G LTE Compatibility for iPad 3

[OafTobark]

I've decided if its only got 3G I'm going with the wifi only. If its got 4g I'm going with the wifi+4g.

I think I'm on the same page as this guy. If no 4G, I can just use my iPhone 4S as a hotspot and tether my iPad to 3G. Sounds right to me.

 

[garbeth]

Some areas in Canada (like Toronto) have LTE networks. LTE/4G capability is the only reason that would push me into buying the iPad3 - seeing as I'm sort of happy already with the iPad2 3G 64 GB model.

Wait. Not quite true. If it didn't have LTE but increased the storage to 128 GB that would push me over the edge too.

It's possible that I'm too easily pleased.

Most major markets in Canada now have LTE with either Bell or TELUS depending on where you are in the country. Admittedly it's only in the downtown cores at the moment but all the carriers are on a big push to expand that this year.

 

[chrmjenkins]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

The ideal chip to use for LTE, the Qualcomm MDM9615, isn't officially available for OEMs until Q2 2012, so it's possible they talked to Qualcomm to get it early, but since it's built on the brand new 28nm process from TSMC, I don't expect a ton of chips to be available, at least not at te massive scale Apple requires. If it does use that chip, I strongly suspect that an LtE iPad wouldn't be available for a month or more and that the WiFi version would come out sooner. Or perhaps there will be a WiFi+3G version for countries without 4G for a total of 3 distinct models, but that seems rather complicated. Certainly, the CDMA-only version will disappear.

I don't see any reason they couldn't do a timed delay of LTE iPad availability. What are the actual 3G versus Wifi sales numbers anyway? Demand for LTE chips may not actually be that bad, especially with very limited international demand at first.

 

[nuckinfutz]

With the new display, doesn't it make sense that Apple holds back LTE for the iPad 4? From a marketing standpoint iPad 4g even makes sense as telco's are calling LTE 4g networking(which its not technically)
Apple needs to holds some features back. It can't just shove everything out the door at the same time. I'm betting no LTE this time.

There's plenty of room to add new features to the iPad 4. Most of us will be expecting 802.11AC for faster Wifi and we'll be expecting an A7 chip based on a Cortex A15 processor. There even be opportunities for improved LTE chips. The next phase of LTE is appropriately called LTE Advanced

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LTE_Advanced

Covers more frequencies making it easier to create a Global device with LTE in it.

No real reason to leave anything off....there are plenty of future advancements coming.

 

[nfl46]

Cool. I won't get the LTE iPad anyway, lol. I can only afford the base 16GB.

 

[Saladinos]

It doesn't make sense to hold out on LTE:

- The cellular models cost over $100 more. Apple has room in that to afford an LTE baseband chip, the extra development and regulatory testing, etc (not to mention the fact it will be depreciated across future iterative upgrades).

- Battery life concerns are less impactful. The 3G toggle switch has disappeared on the iPad: what if they brought it back as an LTE toggle switch?

- It's important to go for the best experience. It looks like the cellular industry is really trying to keep up the faster pace of technology: LTE trials are already underway throughout most of Europe and in large parts of Asia. If Apple have already shipped tens of millions of LTE-capable devices the pressure on carriers to bring it to market sooner will increase enormously.

Glad it's coming. I hope we see NFC, too.

 

[garylapointe]

Now I'll be getting the Verizon iPad and then once the iPhone 5 comes out, leave AT&T for Verizon on that. By that time, Verizon should be rolling out the plans to use one data amount on multiple devices.

I'm assuming, like the iPhone 4s, there will be one iPad 3 for all the US carriers (Sprint, Verizon, AT&T).

Maybe I shouldn't assume, but I can't imagine 36 different iPad 3 models (3 memory configs * 2 wireless models (WiFi or 4g) * 3 carriers (Sprint, ATT, Verizon). * 2 colors (Black or White). It was bad enough with the Verizon and AT&T models last time around.

Gary

 

[nuckinfutz]

I don't see any reason they couldn't do a timed delay of LTE iPad availability. What are the actual 3G versus Wifi sales numbers anyway? Demand for LTE chips may not actually be that bad, especially with very limited international demand at first.

I'd say the Wifi iPads likely sell 3:1 over the Wifi+3G so Apple's initial launch would likely only need a couple of million Qualcomm chips if not less.

 

[Minority_taxi]

Telstra in Aus

Yeah, 4G LTE iPad here in Sydney would be great, Telstra seems like the only network with any decent data reliability as Optus is crap!

Bring on the LTE!

 

[Saladinos]

I'd say the Wifi iPads likely sell 3:1 over the Wifi+3G so Apple's initial launch would likely only need a couple of million Qualcomm chips if not less.

Out of interest - am I the only one whose primary motivation for getting the 3G/4G is GPS?

Why can't they just build that in to the WiFi part of the baseband? Gah!

 

[Leonard1818]

don't care if it's 4G capable or not. Not paying Verizon even MORE money than I do now (not that I regret a single dime I pay for my service -- just not too anxious to add another $30+ to it).

Wi-Fi only for me please and thank you.

 

[garylapointe]

Out of interest - am I the only one whose primary motivation for getting the 3G/4G is GPS?

Why can't they just build that in to the WiFi part of the baseband? Gah!

GPS is the main reason that I don't want to just get a MiFi for my devices, I do want the GPS on my iPad. It's just hard to ju$tify for $129, unless I'm going to actually use the modem too. I'd pay $50 more for the GPS.

But Apple does use the cell towers to assist the GPS in acquiring the signal faster. Maybe it's WAY too slow without the cell towers? Or at least, too slow for Apple's taste...

Gary

 

[nuckinfutz]

Out of interest - am I the only one whose primary motivation for getting the 3G/4G is GPS?

Why can't they just build that in to the WiFi part of the baseband? Gah!

Nope. I tell every prospective iPad owner about the benefits of that cell hardware even if they don't pay the monthly fees.

 

[SgtBullmoose]

If it's LTE will it be global or local to the market. I'm gonna be in NYC coincidentally for the probable launch. Can I use it in Canada and inEurope if it's LTE?

 

[nuckinfutz]

don't care if it's 4G capable or not. Not paying Verizon even MORE money than I do now (not that I regret a single dime I pay for my service -- just not too anxious to add another $30+ to it).

Wi-Fi only for me please and thank you.

That's why some of us are all waiting for share data plans. I have Wifi around me like stooges around Megan Fox. If I'm gonna be capped let me distribute my data as I see fit.

My next iPad will have LTE. I've got no plans to tether.

 

[psxp]

looking forward to Wed afternoon and beyond.. speculation rumors will return to iPhone 5 😉

 

[NutsNGum]

Nowhere near having a 4G capable network in the UK yet, the auctions haven't even taken place yet as all the big operators are moaning about it for some reason. Helpful!

 

[balzmcfearson]

if true, great news for the battery life of wifi only models🙂

 

[Doombringer]

I'd be hesitant to buy at all if it lacked LTE. I want the best cellular capability, and LTE is in my area. I'd make full use of it.

Plain and simple, it's 2012... if I'm dropping $900 on the top model, it had better have LTE.

 

[Peel]

Out of interest - am I the only one whose primary motivation for getting the 3G/4G is GPS?

Why can't they just build that in to the WiFi part of the baseband? Gah!

I have the original iPad with 3G. I've never activated the 3G account, but bought that feature solely for the GPS feature. I've never regretted making that decision. Came to my rescue when I was in Europe (where I wouldn't have had data coverage even if I had a US account), and got lost driving through a small town that had a detour that took me off of my scheduled path. Thankfully I had looked at the route in Maps, so they were still in memory, and the GPS feature allowed my passenger to act as navagator and guide us to our destination.

 

[cynics]

All good rumors.

And of course, Apple is down more than 2% today. I guess the street doesn't like hearing about a monster channel stuffing product being delivered.

I wonder how fast LTE will be on the iPad 3 in practice and in the major U.S. cities? Could the iPad 3 bring true broadband desktop level web surfing to a portable device for the general public? I have wifi most places and 3G is okay. But it isn't desktop snappy. LTE and the A6 processor should be fast enough to compete with desktops for general browsing. That is if LTE gets anywhere like its theoretical speeds in practice.

Maybe. I've been using a 4g tablet for quite sometime now and have seen speeds vary from 15 mbs down to 75 mbs down. Anything over 20 rivals my home broadband.

I don't have my tablet on me but I grabbed this on another forum.

So when I'm traveling it makes a great wifi hotspot. Verizon includes tethering in there Android data packages, I'm not sure if the iPads get it as ours is only wifi.

 

[Ugg]

I'm assuming, like the iPhone 4s, there will be one iPad 3 for all the US carriers (Sprint, Verizon, AT&T).

Maybe I shouldn't assume, but I can't imagine 36 different iPad 3 models (3 memory configs * 2 wireless models (WiFi or 4g) * 3 carriers (Sprint, ATT, Verizon). * 2 colors (Black or White). It was bad enough with the Verizon and AT&T models last time around.

Gary

It definitely makes sense to have a global iPad, just like the worldphone iPhone 4s

Out of interest - am I the only one whose primary motivation for getting the 3G/4G is GPS?

Why can't they just build that in to the WiFi part of the baseband? Gah!

I only need the 3G/4G a few months of the year but GPS without contract is the main reason I'm getting it. My android phone is ok for some things but not everything and being able to use it as a trail finder GPS will be priceless. Now all I need is a solar charger.

 

[Dr Kevorkian94]

In will most likely get a Wi-fi/ 3g (or LTE) regardless, i hope they make it dual like the iPhone so i can choose the carrier without having to choose a specific model. Also idk but if i can stick my iPhone 4S sim in the sim slot (and have it work) that would be cool too.

 

[darkslide29]

Maybe. I've been using a 4g tablet for quite sometime now and have seen speeds vary from 15 mbs down to 75 mbs down. Anything over 20 rivals my home broadband.

I don't have my tablet on me but I grabbed this on another forum.

Image

So when I'm traveling it makes a great wifi hotspot. Verizon includes tethering in there Android data packages, I'm not sure if the iPads get it as ours is only wifi.

Damn, all this time I've been tethering my iPhone to my iPad. I'm gonna have to do it the other way around now, tethering my iPad to my iPhone!

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In will most likely get a Wi-fi/ 3g (or LTE) regardless, i hope they make it dual like the iPhone so i can choose the carrier without having to choose a specific model. Also idk but if i can stick my iPhone 4S sim in the sim slot (and have it work) that would be cool too.

I also hope that they make it just one model so that I can choose the carrier later on. So far I haven't been able to figure out if it makes more sense to stick with AT&T (my iPhone carrier), or go with Verizon since they've been doing LTE longer. Or if I can get a bundle with AT&T for having both, etc. Hopefully I can worry about that later.

 

[Apple...]

This is not a "I'll see it when I'll believe it" report - it's a "hey, that tree really does have green leaves and brown bark with red apples".