Leaked Report: First AT&T 4G LTE iDevice Will Be iPad 3, Not iPhone 5

AT&T’s 4G LTE rollout is moving forward, but not at a pace that will see faster connections on iPhones or iPads this year. However, those will probably come in 2012. This is the conclusion drawn from internal AT&T documents recently hacked and released by Lulzec, according to 9 To 5 Mac. In March, we reported AT&T customers in five U.S. markets would be the first to use the company’s new 4G LTE service sometime this summer. The service, however, will not work with current iDevices such as the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Now, recently uncovered AT&T documents suggest the next iPhone won’t be 4G LTE-compatible either because further testing is necessary. Also suggested: Don’t believe rumors of an iPad 3 coming sometime in 2011. Rather, the first 4G LTE iDevice will be the iPad 3 in 2012 and the iPhone 6, which will probably be released next year as well. According to 9 To 5 Mac:

Additionally, if this November and December testing is in 2011, the rumors of a September iPad 3 with LTE can clearly be ruled out. An analyst reported earlier this month that according to supply chain sources, Apple is preparing a next-generation iPad with an improved display and LTE data. If the iPad gains LTE capabilities in 2012, the 6th generation iPhone in 2012 will likely also gain LTE data speeds.

The five U.S. cities getting AT&T LTE service this summer are Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, Texas. Ten additional cities should receive coverage before the end of 2011. Looks like 2012 is shaping up to be (another) exciting year for Apple products, don’t you think? Of course, for those living in areas where 3G is not yet available, this story probably means a lot less. Thoughts?

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