Chinese carrier says Apple's iPhone 5 will support high-speed HSPA+
Apple's fifth-generation iPhone will feature support for fast HSPA+ 21Mbps network speeds, sometimes advertised as "4G," carrier China Unicom has revealed.
The carrier revealed the information in a presentation given at this week's Macworld Asia. A slide shown by the carrier, spotted by Macotakara, displays the evolution of the iPhone, from the first-generation model in 2007 onward.
Included in the slide is a blank spot for Apple's so-called "iPhone 5," which the company will officially unveil at an event next Tuesday. No photo or details on the iPhone 5 are provided, except for a mention that it will access HSPA+ networks, which have theoretical maximum download speeds of 21Mbps.
That compares to the 7.2Mbps maximum theoretical speed the WCDMA radio has provided in the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. The first-generation iPhone featured EDGE data connections for 480Kbps.
In the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile have their own HSPA+ networks which the carriers advertise as having "4G" speeds, even though they aren't true fourth-generation technology. AT&T is currently rolling out a true LTE 4G network in the U.S., and the carrier's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile would give it more spectrum to expand its coverage.
Rumors have maintained that this year's iPhone upgrade will not feature a true 4G LTE radio. The China Unicom slide does indicate, however, that the next iPhone will feature an improved modem.
In April, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook indicated his company is in no rush to adopt true 4G LTE technology in its products. He admitted that Apple has explored LTE, but the company wasn't ready to make the jump with the launch of a CDMA Verizon iPhone in February.
The carrier revealed the information in a presentation given at this week's Macworld Asia. A slide shown by the carrier, spotted by Macotakara, displays the evolution of the iPhone, from the first-generation model in 2007 onward.
Included in the slide is a blank spot for Apple's so-called "iPhone 5," which the company will officially unveil at an event next Tuesday. No photo or details on the iPhone 5 are provided, except for a mention that it will access HSPA+ networks, which have theoretical maximum download speeds of 21Mbps.
That compares to the 7.2Mbps maximum theoretical speed the WCDMA radio has provided in the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. The first-generation iPhone featured EDGE data connections for 480Kbps.
In the U.S., AT&T and T-Mobile have their own HSPA+ networks which the carriers advertise as having "4G" speeds, even though they aren't true fourth-generation technology. AT&T is currently rolling out a true LTE 4G network in the U.S., and the carrier's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile would give it more spectrum to expand its coverage.
Rumors have maintained that this year's iPhone upgrade will not feature a true 4G LTE radio. The China Unicom slide does indicate, however, that the next iPhone will feature an improved modem.
In April, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook indicated his company is in no rush to adopt true 4G LTE technology in its products. He admitted that Apple has explored LTE, but the company wasn't ready to make the jump with the launch of a CDMA Verizon iPhone in February.
Comments
AT&T is currently rolling out a true LTE 4G network in the U.S., and the carrier's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile would give it more spectrum to expand its coverage.
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In April, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook indicated his company is in no rush to adopt true 4G LTE technology in its products.
It should be pointed out that LTE is not true 4G.
Somehow, I feel unfair that Verizon iP5 doesn't have 4G, but China iP5 does. Maybe I am wrong. I hope I am wrong.
Neither LTE nor HSPA+ is 4G. So no one has it. Relax.
That said, I think HSPA+ is the most likely compromise of speed and battery life that we'll see this year, but the marketing around LTE is getting more intense.
Neither LTE nor HSPA+ is 4G. So no one has it. Relax.
LTE is 4G.
Somehow, I feel unfair that Verizon iP5 doesn't have 4G, but China iP5 does. Maybe I am wrong. I hope I am wrong.
The vast majority of the world has well-deployed HSPA+ networks, some in their third- and fourth-generation. These would really be classed as 3.5G networks, however the ITU partially caved in to the carriers' marketing departments and started calling early generation LTE as well as HSPA+ as "4G" despite neither network can support the 1Gbps download links that official 4G certification requires.
Hence, this isn't really an iPhone 5 built for China's "4G". It's really a iPhone 5 for the world's "4G" with the exception of a handful of CDMA-based networks.
It should be pointed out that LTE is not true 4G.
Ah, beat me to it.
LTE Advance is the first '4G' technology according to the ITU's definition (which is, IIRC, packet switched and offering speeds in excess of 100Mbps).
Somehow, I feel unfair that Verizon iP5 doesn't have 4G, but China iP5 does. Maybe I am wrong. I hope I am wrong.
the iPhone 5 will be a global phone. China will get the same one everyone else gets. whether you benefit from the increased speed is determined by your choice in carrier.
It should be pointed out that LTE is not true 4G.
Ah, beat me to it.
LTE Advance is the first '4G' technology according to the ITU's definition (which is, IIRC, packet switched and offering speeds in excess of 100Mbps).
Why do you guys have to recite this stuff as if it's fact? Since when are all technical acronyms have to be validated through the ITU-T?. There is no Abbreviation Consortium or FCC-esque commission that is makes HSPA+ '4G' and LTE '4G' any less '4G' to describe a generational change.
Sent from my '4G' iPhone aka iPhone 4.
PS: The ITU-R's definition of '4G' is much more than what I assume is your definition of 100Mb/s downstream. It's complex, covering many points, and has changed many times of the years, and likely to change again.
Apple's fifth-generation iPhone will feature support for fast HSPA+ 21Mbps network speeds, sometimes advertised as "4G," carrier China Unicom has revealed.
No way. HSPA+ is NOT 4G. It is bullshit. It is not 4G.
Apple will NOT get mixed up with this sort of bullshit. Most people can't access HSPA+ anyways, so Apple can't get involved with this sort of dying bullshit stopgap crapola.
NO WAY!
The same slide lists WCDMA for the prior models, unlike the HSPA which was used for the GSM models in the US..
I think you're on to the fact that the slide is probably just a randomly made-up slide and has no bearing in fact. The iPhone 4 (CDMA) was the only iPhone ever to support CDMA. So the fact that they're listing the previous models with CDMA underneath is entirely wrong. Could that also mean they're wrong about the next gen iPhone???
the iPhone 5 will be a global phone. China will get the same one everyone else gets. whether you benefit from the increased speed is determined by your choice in carrier.
It's hard to imagine that will be the case in such a small device. No "global phone" that I've seen have never had more than 2 UMTS bands; the Phone 4 has 5 UMTS bands and uses 4, currently. I've seen it in a much larger, less efficient Qualcomm Gobi chip, but not in a phone. And that is before we get to China Mobile's GSM/TD-SCDMA requirements.
LTE is 4G.
Nope.
http://www.att.com/network/
might be a good idea.
Why do you guys have to recite this stuff as if it's fact? Since when are all technical acronyms have to be validated through the ITU-T?. There is no Abbreviation Consortium or FCC-esque commission that is makes HSPA+ '4G' and LTE '4G' any less '4G' to describe a generational change.
Sent from my '4G' iPhone aka iPhone 4.
Ignorance should not be so broadly advertised.
judging by this
http://www.att.com/network/
might be a good idea.
Why? Just because ATT is not advertising the old-style iPhone, but is instead focusing on its newest and "best" phones with 4G and big screens?