iPhone 5 has 4G aspirations

**loudsound** · 09-24-2010, 12:38 PM

Just browsed on this short article from CNET. Some speculations already on the new iPhone and the 7-in iPad. Here's the link to the article.

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The iPhone 5 will support both 3G and 4G services as Apple switches suppliers for critical silicon, an analyst said Monday. The report also said a new iPad is expected.

Following earlier iPhone 5 rumors, Ashok Kumar, a managing director and analyst at Rodman & Renshaw, chimed in with a report Monday saying Apple's iPhone 5 "will be Apple's first phone to support LTE," or Long Term Evolution, which is being marketed as a 4G technology.

And Kumar echoed other reports, saying that Qualcomm is the expected chip supplier for both a future Verizon-based iPhone, based on the CDMA standard, and the iPhone 5. "We believe the company has selected Qualcomm as its modem supplier for the CDMA iPhone as well as for the iPhone 5," Kumar wrote. "The iPhone 5 will likely use a two-chip modem, allowing the company to create 3G and 4G products."

"Switching suppliers for something as critical as a baseband (3G/4G) modem is a very complex and time-consuming task," Kumar said in an interview. But once the switch is made, a commitment is typically long term, Kumar added.

Currently, the iPhone uses a 3G chip from Infineon, whose wireless division Intel announced it is acquiring for $1.4 billion.

Kumar also wrote that Apple is expected to release a second-generation iPad with a 7-inch display and front/rear-facing cameras by early 2011. Similar rumors have surfaced in the past.

iPhone competition is expected to heat up in 2011, with Chinese and Taiwanese competitors launching $150 iPhone knockoffs running on Android. "Some of these vendors will attempt to leapfrog the iPhone through innovations such as larger or better screens, longer battery life, and more memory," according to Kumar.

**Sponsor** · 09-24-2010 12:38 PM

**rbenzon** · 09-24-2010, 01:34 PM

Problem is, you need an LTE network to use a 4G phone. Wimax is 4G, but that's not the standard actively supported by mobile network operators and mobile handset vendors like Apple, Nokia, etc.

**AlexG** · 09-24-2010, 01:36 PM

Take that with a grain of salt. See John Gruber of daringfireball.net take regarding Ashok Kumar's track record on Apple :-)

**slickmp3** · 09-24-2010, 01:47 PM

Will see that next year.

**kaotep** · 09-24-2010, 02:16 PM

LTE won't be here soon. LTE testing has been actively been done by the global network players as early as late 2008 but seeing that our telecom providers are mostly in a "wait and see" mode, LTE will probably come in 2-3 years time. earlier I hope.

A friend of mine was in Lithuania more than a week ago. LTE has been deployed there and it's blazing fast!

**funcrecall** · 09-25-2010, 05:59 PM

Now, we're talking about the iPhone 5 when the official release of the iPhone 4 here in the Philippines is tomorrow!

**ricpac** · 09-25-2010, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by funcrecall

Now, we're talking about the iPhone 5 when the official release of the iPhone 4 here in the Philippines is tomorrow!

lol, sorry couldn't help it. But it's great to know Globe's finally comin' out with some new iPhones, w00t!

**rdy0329** · 09-26-2010, 10:01 AM

Smart has been conducting test of LTE as early as 2008. But since deployment takes 3 years just like 3G.

**kaotep** · 09-26-2010, 01:22 PM

2008? i don't think so. maybe late 2009.

NT&T only started initial LTE testing around mid 2008 and they were the only ones who had eNodeB equipment.

**vgsison** · 09-29-2010, 10:38 AM

I wait for the day that we can even deploy 4g system perfectly in our air.

LGE might be too futuristic pa knowing how we lag in deploying latest technology i believe because of large telco not putting enough resources to bring state of the art technology in our shores and too much regulations from the government.

My two cents