The new iPhone 5 is expected to support 4G LTE; and not in just one or two countries, either. Rumors from multiple sources indicate that
Unlike the 'new' iPad 3, which had LTE that only worked in a few places, the new smartphone will work in many more—but perhaps not quite all.
On the one hand, faster wireless networking is important to Apple's most rabid, early-adopter, cash-cow consumers, and will no doubt be useful for business travelers toting a company-issue or BYOD iPhone.
On the other hand, what's this going to do to battery life? And how important are speeds ’n’ feeds, anyway?
Citing the good-old "people familiar with the matter," Jessica E. Vascellaro, Sam Schechner, and Spencer E. Ante tag-team to bring us this:
The technical compatibility with so-called LTE networks removes a competitive danger for Apple. ... Smartphone makers, including market leader Samsung...have begun offering LTE phones globally.
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It isn't likely to work with all carriers...the people said, though it wasn't clear which. ... While building a phone that supports [all] bands of LTE is possible, it presents a significant technical challenge. ... Bill Davidson, senior vice president ofQualcomm [said] "It will be impractical to have all of the bands."
"Impractical" you say? Chris Foresman explains:
LTE technology is still in a relative infancy. ...the US...South Korea, Japan, Australia, Germany, and Sweden are among the 11 countries with LTE service world wide.
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Supporting LTE is difficult. ...LTE networks operate on a wider variety of radio frequencies than 3G networks. ... Because Apple's..."iPad 4G + WiFi" is only compatible with LTE networks in the US and Canada [it was claimed] that its marketing confused [Australian] consumers. ... Even with wider compatibility...the new iPhone still may not work with every carrier.
Unconvinced? Chris Davies triangulates the rumors with news from a UK carrier:
Everything Everywhere has announced a 4G launch event...the day before Apple is tipped to reveal the...iPhone 5. ...long-standing rumors of a 4G upgrade for the iOS smartphone do seem notable given [the] news.
But it's less about speeds 'n' feeds, argues Jonny Evans; more about customer satisfaction:
Apple...ranks top in the reputable JD Power smartphone satisfaction survey...eight times in a row. ... In order of importance, the key factors of overall satisfaction...are: Performance...Physical design...Features...Ease of operation.
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As far as I can tell, the biggest obstacles...include: Continued litigation...Problems sourcing components...That the phone doesn’t inspire consumers...That the device carries one or more unresolvable hardware flaws.
Slightly cynically, Ewan Spence lists features with "no place" in a new iPhone:
First up is a MicroUSB connector. ... New European regulations...require new phones in Europe to support charging via MicroUSB.
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The replaceable battery is always something that comes up with many users. ... [But] when the battery runs out of cycles, there’ll be a new iPhone [to] buy.
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[Supporting] microSD cards. ... Apple’s thinking must be to push the customer to go for the larger storage options when buying the iPhone...[so it] retains the income.
Meanwhile, Roger Yu is scratching that two-year itch:
...an unprecedented wave of iPhone owners is looking to sell or trade their devices...fanned largely by rumors that Apple will...make current models look dowdy in comparison..
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This is OTOH by Richi Jennings, an independent analyst, writer and editor. You can reach him on Google+ at +richij, on Twitter as @richi on Twitter, on Facebook at Facebook.com/richij or via email: fs@richij.com. For more information, please see his full profile and disclosure of industry affiliations.
