Got this email from AT&T at around noon pacific time.
This could mean a 4G capable iPhone by summer's probable release.

This could mean a 4G capable iPhone by summer's probable release.
Negative.
Early info on the iPhone5 states that is not going to be 4G.
The reason that they didn't include LTE into the CDMA iPhone 4 was the LTE chipset would require a complete redesign.
Both ATT and Verizon (Verizon being the largest so far) only have a TINY bit of 4G overall. Verizon has the largest and it's only in something like 18 markets right now. Both should have a large chunk by end of 2011 so 2012 is the most probable as only a small portion of each carrier could use it. P
Almost all sources, and I agree, point towards a Summer 2012 4G based iPhone. In which time the LTE chipset should be more refined, compact, and all that good stuff.
The next iPhone will most likely be hardware upgrades (processor, memory, etc) and incorperate the new Qualcomm GSM/CDMA chip.
**Update: I wanted more solid numbers. Verizon, currently rolling out faster than ATT, is expected to have LTE at 140 markets in 2011 (or slightly more). They expect to have 66% of their entire network by 2013. That meshes with the 2012 estimated for 4G iPhones.
I'll believe it when I see it.
AT&T is in the worst shape when it comes to 4G, so much so, last december they spent a billion dollars to purchased more 700MHz spectrum from Qualcomm. This is not the action of a company that is rolling out 4G, but rather on that is just starting early stages of preparing for 4G
700MHz is for LTE. Att already said they won't have LTE until 2012, Att going to have the lagers 4G network this year because of their HSPA+ 4G, so how are they in the worst shape?
The next iPhone will most likely tout 3G HSPA+. Nothing else, I doubt 4G since not even Verizon is going to finish that until 2012.
The next iPhone will most likely tout 3G HSPA+. Nothing else, I doubt 4G since not even Verizon is going to finish that until 2012.
According to the ITU's revised guidelines, HSPA+ can be referred to as 4G. Therefore AT&T is legitimately branding their network as 4G.
Also, this means that a 4G, HSPA+ iphone is likely this year, and it will be a true 4G device.
When T-Mobile is getting 30meg downloads on their HSPA+ network (3x the speed of Verizon LTE), why keep acting like LTE is some superior "True 4G" network? Isn't speed really the name of the game? Who gives a sh.. what they call it as long as it performs.
The next iPhone will most likely tout 3G HSPA+. Nothing else, I doubt 4G since not even Verizon is going to finish that until 2012.
According to the ITU's revised guidelines, HSPA+ can be referred to as 4G. Therefore AT&T is legitimately branding their network as 4G.
Also, this means that a 4G, HSPA+ iphone is likely this year, and it will be a true 4G device.
When T-Mobile is getting 30meg downloads on their HSPA+ network (3x the speed of Verizon LTE), why keep acting like LTE is some superior "True 4G" network? Isn't speed really the name of the game? Who gives a sh.. what they call it as long as it performs.
Yet the informed user knows that is not the case and as such I will always refer to HSPA+ as 3.75G
As per a 4G iPhone, still doubt it as Apple would want unison in the iPhone line. So 2012 is still my bet.
T-Mobile is already getting 21.1 Mb/s down through their HSPA+ network. Although they are planning to have their HSPA+ network at 42.2 Mb/s. HSPA+ can go all the way currently to 84Mb/s.
The "informed user" was informed of what to think of as 4G by the ITU. That same organization is now proposing HSPA+ as 4G. Therefore the "informed" user should adjust their thinking to coincide with the revisions that the original group who informed the informed user has now made.
T-Mobile demonstrated their 42mbps HSPA+ tech at their CES demo and got a real world 30meg download speed. Incredible.
True I should switch it; but, I still regard it as 3.75G. AT&T is doing a lousy job in this department by lowering standards.
As per T-Mobile, I was very surprised that their practical download speeds where higher than what I pay at home for broadband (22Mb/s).
So they're going to rebrand their HSPA+ as 4G as way to mask their inability to produce their original 4G network rollout. Sounds like a kludge; roll out one "4G" protocol as a temporary measure then switch over to another when they finally get their act together
Sounds like a mess, especially when tying to support two "4G" protocols. They have trouble handling one 3G protocol, now they're going to do two
Here's an engadget article detailing AT&T's crying foul over T-Mobile calling HSPA+ 4G and now they decided to do it because their LTE network is so far behind schedule
When T-Mobile is getting 30meg downloads on their HSPA+ network (3x the speed of Verizon LTE), why keep acting like LTE is some superior "True 4G" network? Isn't speed really the name of the game? Who gives a sh.. what they call it as long as it performs.
Yet the informed user knows that is not the case and as such I will always refer to HSPA+ as 3.75G
T-Mobile is already getting 21.1 Mb/s down through their HSPA+ network. Although they are planning to have their HSPA+ network at 42.2 Mb/s. HSPA+ can go all the way currently to 84Mb/s.
Both ATT and Verizon (Verizon being the largest so far) only have a TINY bit of 4G overall. Verizon has the largest and it's only in something like 18 markets right now. Both should have a large chunk by end of 2011 so 2012 is the most probable as only a small portion of each carrier could use it. P