How far are we from an (ATT) 4g Iphone?

spincut

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jan 19, 2005
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I wasn't even sure if the CDMA Verizon version had 4G capabilities or not, but my 3GS is starting to really show it's age (and perhaps is getting clunky as a result of its internal memory being used a bit?), and after witnessing some friends with Sprint showing off their 4G I was pretty jealous/impressed (and heck, from what I am being told that's not even true 4g).
 
4G really doesn't actually mean anything. What I think you are asking for is an LTE iPhone which doesn't currently exist. I'd be stunned if the next model didn't have it though. Every major carrier is pushing that direction hard right now and it would be a glaring omission.
 
actually it means a lot. If a phone has 4g speeds then it means, at the very least, something. It is after all and official standard, and LTE is part of that.

I'd be stunned if the next model didn't have it either...which is sort of why I made a thread asking about it....
 
Probably the iPhone 5 will have true 4G (Wi-Max, LTE, etc.) The 4S doesn't do too poorly however. It can transfer at 14.4 Mbps. However that's only the GSM variety. CDMA users will have to wait.
 
actually it means a lot. If a phone has 4g speeds then it means, at the very least, something. It is after all and official standard, and LTE is part of that.

I'd be stunned if the next model didn't have it either...which is sort of why I made a thread asking about it....

You misunderstand. The term "4G" as used by the cell carriers literally means whatever they want it to that day. Perfect example is the 4S. With the last iOS update it magically transformed into a "4G" phone on ATT though nothing had actually changed.

Wi-Max is basically dead. Sprint was the only major adopter of it (again talking cell carriers stateside) and they've already announced they will be moving to LTE instead.
 
4G was originally the name for IMT Advanced standard, which is 1 Gbps throughput. LTE is actually "3.5G," but the carriers want to differentiate their new networks from their existing UMTS networks. The iPhone 4S is able to do HSDPA+, which is faster than UMTS' regular HSDPA.

Most people speculate that the next iPhone that will come out this fall will have LTE.
 
Yea, the 4G thing is a horrendous misnomer that most of the American populace is too stupid to understand...they think that 4G > 3G. I thought Apple had stood up to ATT on this, until a recent iOS update when my iPhone 4S changed from showing ATT 3G to ATT 4G.

It is widely assumed that the next revision of the iPhone will be LTE (what many techy folks consider to be 4G), and that it'll be on target for a fall release. I would imagine Sept.-Oct. time frame; any later than that and the holiday season will be tough to supply.

The LTE chips are mature enough that Apple put them in the most recent iPad; I'd expect that a similar voice capable chip is on its way to the factories now.
 
Probably the iPhone 5 will have true 4G (Wi-Max, LTE, etc.) The 4S doesn't do too poorly however. It can transfer at 14.4 Mbps. However that's only the GSM variety. CDMA users will have to wait.

Huh? I thought it was the other way around and that the CDMA models had a bump but the current ATT models weren't really getting one until Apple release a full fledged 4G phone supporting their new network. And yes, I understand that that Iphone 5 will likely have these new features, I wasn't really asking that, I was asking WHEN this new phone will come out. The existence of the Iphone 5 and what it will likely have is not so much a point of confusion as opposed to, where it is and when it's coming.

You misunderstand. The term "4G" as used by the cell carriers literally means whatever they want it to that day. Perfect example is the 4S. With the last iOS update it magically transformed into a "4G" phone on ATT though nothing had actually changed.

Wi-Max is basically dead. Sprint was the only major adopter of it (again talking cell carriers stateside) and they've already announced they will be moving to LTE instead.

Yea, the 4G thing is a horrendous misnomer that most of the American populace is too stupid to understand...they think that 4G > 3G. I thought Apple had stood up to ATT on this, until a recent iOS update when my iPhone 4S changed from showing ATT 3G to ATT 4G.

It is widely assumed that the next revision of the iPhone will be LTE (what many techy folks consider to be 4G), and that it'll be on target for a fall release. I would imagine Sept.-Oct. time frame; any later than that and the holiday season will be tough to supply.

The LTE chips are mature enough that Apple put them in the most recent iPad; I'd expect that a similar voice capable chip is on its way to the factories now.

Techy folks? Stupid folks? one in the same?


AAAAAANNNNYYYWAYYYY, this conversation has gotten off track quick. Now that we've settled this non-issue, let's go back to the original question:

Where is the 4G phone (and in this case 4G is the new network rollout for ATT, LTE, whatever you'd like to call it) from Apple, also known as the Iphone 5? Is it on the horizon? When is it likely to come?
 
Should be announced June, with the possibility of it being released later this year.
 
Huh? I thought it was the other way around and that the CDMA models had a bump but the current ATT models weren't really getting one until Apple release a full fledged 4G phone supporting their new network. And yes, I understand that that Iphone 5 will likely have these new features, I wasn't really asking that, I was asking WHEN this new phone will come out. The existence of the Iphone 5 and what it will likely have is not so much a point of confusion as opposed to, where it is and when it's coming.

Go buy a quija board and ask Steve himself... That's the closest you'll get to a real answer to your question. BTW also ask Elvis if he's done beating Michael Jackson for "allegedly" sleeping with his daughter.. KTHX!! :cool:
 
Go buy a quija board and ask Steve himself... That's the closest you'll get to a real answer to your question. BTW also ask Elvis if he's done beating Michael Jackson for "allegedly" sleeping with his daughter.. KTHX!! :cool:

Watch out, ghost Steve Jobs is as much a jerk as living Steve Jobs was. He'll demand 3 different bells to choose from before he rings one to signal his presence.
 
Go buy a quija board and ask Steve himself... That's the closest you'll get to a real answer to your question. BTW also ask Elvis if he's done beating Michael Jackson for "allegedly" sleeping with his daughter.. KTHX!! :cool:

You know, I was asking if just "you" specifically knew....
 
What's weird is that I'd swear my 4S has been slower since the update that changed the icon from "3G" to "4G'.
 
Depending on where you are at, who your provider is, "4G" can both suck and be cool.

I had an HTC Evo4G the past 2 years, just recently moved to verizon and got "4G LTE" and the difference is HUUUUGE.

Sprint made the gamble with Wimax and lost big time. Even being in DFW where WiMax was rolled out it was only impressive if you were out in the open, NOT moving, and were lucky enough to get a signal. I'd pull 6 or 7 MB/sec which was impressive I suppose. In the (almost) 2 years I had Sprint's 4G WiMax, I maybe downloaded 500MB from them, because 99.9999% of the time I: 1) had no 4G signal or 2) WiMax sucks battery worse than anything Iv'e ever seen.

basically unless you read a few tech articles or two the average person only sees "oh mah gawd! it has more Geeeeees!" and suddenly feel okay about spending more money on a service they will never use. Part of the reason I ditched sprint was the "$10/month premium data fee" i was forced to pay despite never having real access to the service.

Verizon's 4G LTE is pretty much the best you can get now, the network is great (but you do pay for it) I was getting 27MB/sec driving down the highway the other day. I forgot to download a movie I was supposed to bring to a friends house, literally fired up a torrent on my Galaxy nexus and downloaded it on the way over to their house and was complete before I got there... that's something you will never be able to do on Sprint's network unless they pile on a few more billion to build out their network.
 
Slightly off-topic but with everyone going to LTE does that mean you'll be able to roam to any carrier avalible? (I got mixed answers when I asked Sprint if their LTE phones would roam onto Verizon)

And I agree, WiMAX is a joke, Next city over has it and there are very few places you can get an actual connection (or if it connects it will have 1 bar and dissapear within minutes) Now in ATL I got an impressive connection, but considering how rarely I go there (and further how rarely I'll use 4G data when I'm there considering battery life) it's a rather moot point...
 
It needs to be able to do Tmobile 4G xD then i will be happy.
Because in my area AT&T just isn't how it used to be or it was never ever any good to start with !!!
 
It needs to be able to do Tmobile 4G xD then i will be happy.
Because in my area AT&T just isn't how it used to be or it was never ever any good to start with !!!

By the time the next iphone comes out your area may be reframed for T-mobile to be able to get 3g.

@OP: The next iphone should have LTE on AT&T & Verizon. If you're in an area where your phone may drop off to either carriers 3g network the AT&T version will be much faster. Verizon's LTE coverage will still be much better than AT&T's at the time of that launch.
 
Well T-Mobile will get 3G for 2013 since they got access to about 25% of AT&T towers ?
Not 100% sure what the deal was but the failed merge, gave Tmobile a lump sum of cash, for showing AT&T its secrets (If there was even any) and a good percentage of AT&T tower access. In turn they might have gained access to some Tmobile Data, unless they only got access to Voice part of the towers.
 
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