Is Apple Waiting On AT&T To Launch The New iPhone?
September 20, 2011
AT&T has begun rolling out 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) service to its customers in five different cities within the US and will be in 15 markets by the end of 2011. This information was released this week on the AT&T website. The question we've been getting is whether this announcement is in line with a new iPhone release?
There have certainly been rumors about the next iPhone having 4G LTE. Many will argue that Apple would not release a device using this new network technology because it's not ready, and wouldn't offer acceptable battery life. Yet, if the next iPhone does have LTE, and there is a chance it will, this would explain the delay.
Simply put, Apple can't launch an LTE iPhone until AT&T, the largest iPhone carrier, has at least started to deploy its LTE network. Unless Apple would want to give Verizon an important advantage. If the new iPhone comes with integrated 4G LTE and AT&T does not provide the service, imagine the number of users who would switch to Verizon to take advantage of this technology.
I personally hope the new iPhone comes with 4G LTE compatibility, as it is increasingly seen as a competitive advantage by many looking for a new smartphone. Living in a city where I can access the 4G LTE service on Verizon, I have noticed a considerable speed difference from the 3G service. Even though it is not full 4G yet, the increase is substantial enough to make Internet use more efficient on any 4G LTE compatible device, in particular when tethering. Note: I own a HTC Thunderbolt in addition to my beloved iPhone.
We will know more in the coming weeks. Currently AT&T’s LTE service is up and running in: Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Atlanta. If you live in any of these cities and have a chance to experience their new network speeds, let us know what you think!
