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Odds of iPhone 5 being 4g?

D

DashSatan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Mar 29, 2011
419
17
I was wondering what the odds are because it's the only thing keeping me from waiting. I'm not gonna spend the extra $ on 4g.
 
If we see an iPhone 5 this year, it will have 4G. Apple and AT&T/Verizon would be stupid not to make it 4G when thats becoming the new standard. But we may only see a iPhone 4s type of deal, just a slight upgrade to the iPhone 4.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

Late 2011 release equals 4G
 
I don't think we will see a 4G iPhone 5. The only 4G that is even available right now is 3.5G and Apple is not the guy that does stuff half way. When all the carriers have 4G spread out that's when we will see 4G. iPhone 6.
 
I doubt it will be 4G, a lot of the world has no 4G access yet. But hey thats just me. Maybe there'll be 4G and 3G version, something like the Wifi and 3G iPads but I seriously doubt it.
 
On Verizon...3%. Verizon customers do not like the phrase "tiered data plans". And that's what they will get with a 4G phone. I highly doubt by the time the end of the year rolls around, they will grandfather in current unlimited data customers like they have with the Thunderbolt.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

Very slim
 
If the next iPhone iteration is delayed to the end of the year as rumored, I think the chances go up. Verizon will have built out quite a bit of their LTE network by then. If Verizon gets an LTE iPhone, I'd ditch AT&T in a heartbeat.
 
Assuming that the rumors are true and it's released in fall 2011 then maybe.

I think it depends on two factors:

1) How quickly Verizon can deploy LTE across the U.S.

2) Whether or not Apple can design a battery and/or LTE chip combination that can provide decent to good battery life.
 
Not going to happen. Apple's too smart, the networks aren't ready. I'd rather see them stick to 3g.

Of much greater concern:

Will Apple release an iphone 5 this year?
 
You would think with the large amount of battery life being saved with a dual core processor and the addition of a better battery in the iPhone 5 it would make up for the battery pulldown tha 4g will consume.

This is not 2007 or whatever it was when apple skipped going to 3G because it was not deployed fully everywhere. They could do that because they absolutely had no competition at that time. Sure we were all bent at the time but had no other options to choose from..
 
By the end of 2011, the majority of this country will still be 3G. So if apple were to offer a 4G model, most people who buy it will likely only have 3G service. Most of the people will have no concept of what that means, but will be upset because they don't have those high speeds. In fact all verizon will guarantee is that they will have 4G in one city in each state by end of year. And likely not saturated coverage in those cities. I can't see apple wanting to deal with this issue after antenna gate. Even though it would not be their problem, they would still be dragged through the mess because people got shifted to a 4G tiered plan for no reason.
 
wxman2003 said:
I highly doubt by the time the end of the year rolls around, they will grandfather in current unlimited data customers like they have with the Thunderbolt.
Click to expand...

They have to, and will. I have already asked multiple Verizon salesmen and customer service reps. The data package is part of your contract. If you sign a two year contract with a $30 a month data package, you are grandfathered into that $30 for those 2 years. After those 2 years, then you have to choose a new data package.
 
For me, a late 2011/ early 12 launch that isn't 4G is a "skip" year. I was a year late to 3G, very happy with my iPhone4. Not convinced the 5 can be enough of a differentiator without 4G.
 
TantalizedMind said:
They have to, and will. I have already asked multiple Verizon salesmen and customer service reps. The data package is part of your contract. If you sign a two year contract with a $30 a month data package, you are grandfathered into that $30 for those 2 years. After those 2 years, then you have to choose a new data package.
Click to expand...

But where they get you is the detail that you are technically upgrading to a new network. They have to provide a $30 data package for 3G, but not 4G. When you want to upgrade to 4G they can grandfather people over (like they did with the Thunderbolt) but they don't contractually have to
 
I personally don't see it happening. You know how 4G is sort of being phased in right now? Well that was pretty much exactly the stage 3G networks were in when Apple released the iPhone 2G. I just can't see them releasing a 4G capable device, when it can't take full advantage of the network, not to mention, I don't see them sacrificing battery life either.
 
anonymous6237 said:
But where they get you is the detail that you are technically upgrading to a new network. They have to provide a $30 data package for 3G, but not 4G. When you want to upgrade to 4G they can grandfather people over (like they did with the Thunderbolt) but they don't contractually have to
Click to expand...

If I buy a phone w/ a 2 year contract.. I am keeping it for 2 years. I don't have money to throw at my service provider for a new phone every year. That's ridiculous. I won't be getting an iPhone 5 so I have no worries about upgrading costs.
 
I think it's likely that it will have HSPA+, but LTE will probably have to wait.
 
4g won't even be much faster unless the CPU is MUCH MUCH better (unless 3g speeds in your area are few hundred kbps max)
 
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