4G LTE test code uncovered in developer builds of iOS 5
Evidence that Apple has built 4G Long-Term Evolution testing code into beta builds of iOS 5 has been uncovered, prompting further speculation that the iPhone maker will adopt the standard in future versions of its mobile devices.
Earlier this week, a rumor emerged that Apple's carrier partners have begun testing an iPhone prototype with LTE, based in part on code reportedly from an internal iOS test build that was sent to "one of Apple's major carrier partners." That code has now been found in recent builds of iOS 5 issued to developers.
MacRumors reports that GSM iPhone 4 and CDMA iPad 2 builds of iOS 5 contain an LTE.plist file with a "key" tag for a "Connected mode LTE Intra-frequency Measurement." However, the file is not found in other "counterpart" versions of iOS 5 and has only been located in "at least the last couple" of beta builds of the forthcoming upgrade.
LTE is the 4G network standard of choice for carriers such as Verizon and AT&T, with real-world data rates of between 5 and 12 megabits per second downstream, and 2 to 5 Mbps up. Verizon launched its network first late last year, while AT&T plans to reach 70 million customers in 15 markets by the end of 2011.
Forbes reported last Friday that Apple is looking for field test engineers with LTE experience on the LinkedIn career networking site. The company seeks "Quality Assurance engineers" to join its "iOS Quality team" to test the functionality of telephony features such as the phone, SMS and data on the iPhone.
Though rumors have suggested that Apple's partners are testing LTE iOS devices, separate reports claim LTE technologies will not be ready for Apple to mass produce until at least 2012. Qualcomm's LTE chips are said to be experiencing problems with "yield rates" that will prevent Apple from implementing them this year.
Last week, spy shots allegedly showing LTE equipment being installed at a "major" Apple Store followed on the heels of the rumor that Apple's carrier partners have been testing an LTE-capable iPhone. The leaked photos drew speculation that Apple was improving LTE signals in its stores ahead of the release of some kind of LTE-compatible device from the company.
It should be noted that there has yet to emerge any strong evidence that Apple will include LTE in the fifth-generation iPhone, which is expected this fall. Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said in April that "the first generation of LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises with the handset," some of which the company is unwilling to make.
Executives from Verizon and China Mobile have hinted that Apple is planning an LTE iPhone, but have been unable to provide further details.
Earlier this week, a rumor emerged that Apple's carrier partners have begun testing an iPhone prototype with LTE, based in part on code reportedly from an internal iOS test build that was sent to "one of Apple's major carrier partners." That code has now been found in recent builds of iOS 5 issued to developers.
MacRumors reports that GSM iPhone 4 and CDMA iPad 2 builds of iOS 5 contain an LTE.plist file with a "key" tag for a "Connected mode LTE Intra-frequency Measurement." However, the file is not found in other "counterpart" versions of iOS 5 and has only been located in "at least the last couple" of beta builds of the forthcoming upgrade.
LTE is the 4G network standard of choice for carriers such as Verizon and AT&T, with real-world data rates of between 5 and 12 megabits per second downstream, and 2 to 5 Mbps up. Verizon launched its network first late last year, while AT&T plans to reach 70 million customers in 15 markets by the end of 2011.
Forbes reported last Friday that Apple is looking for field test engineers with LTE experience on the LinkedIn career networking site. The company seeks "Quality Assurance engineers" to join its "iOS Quality team" to test the functionality of telephony features such as the phone, SMS and data on the iPhone.
Though rumors have suggested that Apple's partners are testing LTE iOS devices, separate reports claim LTE technologies will not be ready for Apple to mass produce until at least 2012. Qualcomm's LTE chips are said to be experiencing problems with "yield rates" that will prevent Apple from implementing them this year.
Last week, spy shots allegedly showing LTE equipment being installed at a "major" Apple Store followed on the heels of the rumor that Apple's carrier partners have been testing an LTE-capable iPhone. The leaked photos drew speculation that Apple was improving LTE signals in its stores ahead of the release of some kind of LTE-compatible device from the company.
It should be noted that there has yet to emerge any strong evidence that Apple will include LTE in the fifth-generation iPhone, which is expected this fall. Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said in April that "the first generation of LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises with the handset," some of which the company is unwilling to make.
Executives from Verizon and China Mobile have hinted that Apple is planning an LTE iPhone, but have been unable to provide further details.
Comments
It will for sure happen for iPhone too.
Just patiently wait for a while...
Evidence that Apple has built 4G Long-Term Evolution testing code into beta builds of iOS 5 has been uncovered, prompting further speculation that the iPhone maker will adopt the standard in future versions of its mobile devices.
I would have thought that much was pretty obvious. If Apple didn't adopt LTE, it would be the only manufacturer that didn't! The first thing to know about Apple is that its implementation of new features is never the first, but often the best. From that perspective, it's no surprise that Apple is experimenting with LTE.
it's a natural step to evolve to LTE.
It will for sure happen for iPhone too.
Just patiently wait for a while...
Natural step, sure, but HSPA+ for the 3GSM-based devices is the first natural step to expect.
If Apple didn't adopt LTE, it would be the only manufacturer that didn't!
Worked for Blu-ray*. Apple couldn't care less.
*This sentence was written for the purpose of illustration. I do not believe this for LTE.
I would have thought that much was pretty obvious. If Apple didn't adopt LTE, it would be the only manufacturer that didn't! The first thing to know about Apple is that its implementation of new features is never the first, but often the best. From that perspective, it's no surprise that Apple is experimenting with LTE.
We know it's coming, but the LTE market is still very weak. Much weaker than the '3G' saturation in the US when the original iPhone was released.
My questions are: Is this 3-4 month delay of the iPhone due to LTE development? Is there some super-secret chip we don't know about that will make LTE feasible for Apple's main focus areas of size and power consumption?
My questions are: Is this 3-4 month delay of the iPhone due to LTE development?
The delay is likely because of iOS 5 & iCloud. Had they been done in June, iPhone 5 probably would have been released then.
I am skipping iPhone 5, the first generation I have ever skipped. My next phone will be iPhone 6 with LTE.
The delay is likely because of iOS 5 & iCloud. Had they been done in June, iPhone 5 probably would have been released then.
Eh, I don't see a FOUR MONTH wait for just software.
I am skipping iPhone 5, the first generation I have ever skipped. My next phone will be iPhone 6 with LTE.[/QUOTE]
Provided it even has it.
The delay is likely because of iOS 5 & iCloud. Had they been done in June, iPhone 5 probably would have been released then.
I am skipping iPhone 5, the first generation I have ever skipped. My next phone will be iPhone 6 with LTE.
1) I'll likely get each new iPhone. My YoY benefit of utility tends to outweigh my cost.
2) iOS 5.0 seemed pretty well baked when Beta 1 dropped. I have to assume the IOS teams were working on a Summer release schedule without knowledge of an extra season of delays. They could have release iOS 5.0 without iCloud if that what was holding it back, but perhaps they want to release all at the same time. Though I don't' completely buy that scenario as adding new SW features is easy to do but adding new HW features is not. That tells me that between these two options it's more than likely one or more components have caused the delay or the device.
3) There is another option. When you look at the Touch and iPhone you see similar components, even the same size display. You also see the iPod as being Apple weakest HW arm and the iPhone being their strongest, with each one moving further in their directions. An argument could be made that Apple is planning to keep the iPhone and iPod events at the same time as the iPod becomes less and less important to their bottom line. They quickly release the new iPods and they spend a great deal of time on the new iPhones each Autumn. It's also more balanced annual timeframe from the iPod release 6 months before/after which also uses many of the same internal components and is their 2nd more profitable HW arm.
Natural step, sure, but HSPA+ for the 3GSM-based devices is the first natural step to expect.
Maybe Apple will simply skip HSPA+ in favor of LTE? HSPA+ doesn't bring new things [edit: compared with HSPA], but LTE does.
HSPA+ doesn't bring new things, but LTE does.
You want to back that up?
2) iOS 5.0 seemed pretty well baked when Beta 1 dropped. I have to assume the IOS teams were working on a Summer release schedule without knowledge of an extra season of delays. They could have release iOS 5.0 without iCloud if that what was holding it back, but perhaps they want to release all at the same time. Though I don't' completely buy that scenario as adding new SW features is easy to do but adding new HW features is not. That tells me that between these two options it's more than likely one or more components have caused the delay or the device.
iOS 5 beta 1 was really flaky if you tried to use any of the new features. It was nowhere near ready for release at WWDC.
That being said, in the past they've had no qualms releasing new hardware with a point release of the existing OS, with the next version of the OS ready later in the year.
You want to back that up?
I will!
*ahem*
"HSPA+ is already 4G, so there's nothing that LTE brings that we don't already have. Because it's just 4G again."
Oh, wait, I got that backwards. I don't really know how HSPA+ doesn't bring new things. Not even in a joking way.
You want to back that up?
yes: http://3g4g.blogspot.com/2008/01/com...pa-vs-lte.html
Are there any major LTE networks outside of the US? I know Europe has a few, but not that many cellphones implement the standard, just USB modems.
I wouldn't be surprised if Verizon and AT&T have more LTE towers than the rest of the world combined by the end of 2011.
Three in the UK just announced a 21Mbps HSPA+ hotspot for September.I think what some fail to realize is that carriers jumping on LTE needed to do so because CDMA2000 was at a dead end while 3GSM networks have a very long growth rate that will allow efficient HSPA+ integrated with LTE as needed.
yes: http://3g4g.blogspot.com/2008/01/com...pa-vs-lte.html
Posting a link isn't stating an argument. Where is your assesment that LTE chips will miraculously be smaller, cheaper and more power efficient than HSPA+?
Posting a link isn't stating an argument. Where is your assesment that LTE chips will miraculously be smaller, cheaper and more power efficient than HSPA+?
I wrote nothing about chipsets. I only wrote "HSPA+ doesn't bring new things, but LTE does.".
What I'm saying here, is that LTE (because of lower latency, SC-FDMA in UL, always-on, only 2 UE states, and others) is actually bringing something new compared with HSPA, while HSPA+ brings (except higher DL/UL speed) nothing new compared with HSPA.
Maybe Apple will simply skip HSPA+ in favor of LTE? HSPA+ doesn't bring new things [edit: compared with HSPA], but LTE does.
If they follow their historic trends, they will release a handset that addresses the fastest widely-deployed cellular network technology on the planet at the time of release: HSPA+.
That makes far more sense as it benefits the maximum number of users (on a worldwide basis). Half of Apple's revenues are from international markets.
It's expect to see LTE next year, perhaps debuting in the spring in the iPad 3.
yes: http://3g4g.blogspot.com/2008/01/com...pa-vs-lte.html
That link does not back up your statement that:
HSPA+ doesn't bring new things [edit: compared with HSPA], but LTE does
All it tells us is that LTE is better than HSPA+ (which I don't think anyone is denying). However, HSPA+ does bring significant advantages over HSPA specifically improved latencies and speed. The advantage it currently has over LTE networks is that it is far more widespread than LTE, and the LTE chips in existence are power hogs.
http://www.differencebetween.com/dif...rk-technology/