iPhone 5 to Have GSM+CDMA for Verizon+AT&T?

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Despite the fact that all major carriers are moving toward 4G technology, Apple apparently won't be making use of it until 2012.

Verizon is talking up its 4G LTE network, and Sprint already has its 4G WiMax up and running in several cities. T-Mobile is currently selling HSPA+ handsets and AT&T is planning an LTE rollout for sometime in 2011. With all of the major service providers going '4G' it's not surprising to see so many 4G handsets hitting the shelves. However, it seems fans of the smartphone that launched a thousand smartphones won't be availing of the new network technology anytime soon.

TechCrunch's Steve Cheney has said that speculation, or rather hope, that the much-rumored Verizon iPhone will take advantage of the carrier's 4G network is false. Not only that but Cheney says Apple will be passing on all 4G networks in 2011. That means next June, when Apple is announcing the new iPhone and all networks are touting 4G technology, the new, revamped iPhone 4 won't be an iPhone 4G.

"Sources tell me that the iPhone refresh in mid-2011 won’t support LTE either," writes Steve. "Instead, Apple will produce a dual mode iPhone containing 3G flavors of GSM and CDMA, which operates on all carriers worldwide. If this holds true, Apple won’t support the LTE standard until some time in 2012."

Although disappointing, it does make sense. As Cheney points out, Apple's first iPhone wasn't a 3G device, despite the fact that there was widespread support for 3G devices in early 2007. The 3G iPhone didn't come a year later, until 2008.

Read the full story here.

Source: TechCrunch

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Jane McEntegart

Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.

43 Comments Comment from the forums
  • dan117
    meh
    Reply
  • mayankleoboy1
    when iphone 5 comes, it will have a minuscule 1% share of the market comprising of CRAPPLE lickers
    Reply
  • ruffopurititiwang
    It seems that built in obsolescence is a staple feature on every version of the iPhone. I could say the same thing about other brands but nobody does it at such magnitude, and gets away with it, as Apple.
    Reply
  • AndrewMD
    Apple will have more competition, but honestly, unless App developers make their product available to the other phones, some people will find it hard to switch.

    Reply
  • Simple11
    Insert Apple flame here.


    Don't forget to up vote me! :D
    Reply
  • tntom
    It seems that built in obsolescence is a staple feature on every version of the iPhone. I could say the same thing about other brands but nobody does it at such magnitude, and gets away with it, as Apple.
    Exactly what I was thinking
    Reply
  • bobusboy
    This spam is getting unreal toms. fix this shit.

    PS: I don't care for apple, but I don't even use 3G, I'll wait to see what you can do with 4G
    Reply
  • JMcEntegart
    bobusboyThis spam is getting unreal toms. fix this ****.PS: I don't care for apple, but I don't even use 3G, I'll wait to see what you can do with 4G
    We're working on implementing a ban-by-IP option but until then it's just each author/moderators sitting in front of their PC at 1am banning as it happens. We try to get to them asap but we have to sleep sometimes! :sleep:
    Reply
  • bobusboy
    And there it is again
    Reply
  • matt87_50
    AndrewMDApple will have more competition, but honestly, unless App developers make their product available to the other phones, some people will find it hard to switch.
    which is why I think it was a poor move by MS to not make it as easy as possible to port between ios and WP7, exclusively supporting a language that no one uses on ios is a poor move. especially when all other platforms made moves to make porting easier. (iphone supports c/c++, so android added the NDK, to add c/c++ support, palm, nokia, all switched to openGL c/c++ models too)

    regardless of your language preference, it just makes sense that microsoft - the developer's advocate - and new entry to the highly competitive smartphone 'app' scene, would make it as easy as possible to move existing apps to their platform. and I don't think they have done that.
    Reply