With the next-generation iPhone now likely to arrive this fall, rumors continue to swirl about whether it will support high-speed 4G data service.
What is 4G exactly? Well, it's a little more complicated than you might think.
Verizon's 4G service, which is already being rolled out, is called LTE (Long Term Evolution) and Sprint's is WiMax. To confuse matters, AT&T is supposed to roll out its LTE network later this year in select markets, but in the meantime, like T-Mobile, it's calling its HSPA+ network 4G when it's more like 3.5G (HSPA+ is not considered a true 4G network).
Bottom line: if you want an iPhone that supports 4G data, you want an LTE iPhone.
What are the odds of the next iPhone having LTE support? That's hard to say, but a few months ago Apple's Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook stated that the "first generation of LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises." Meanwhile, all Verizon has said is that its next iPhone would be a world phone (it will work on both CDMA and GSM networks), but said it was up to Apple whether the phone would include support for LTE (4G) networks.
The question is, how much do you care? Which is why we've come up with this little poll asking whether you'd buy an iPhone 5 if it doesn't support anything less than true 4G (it will almost certainly support HSPA+).
As always, feel free to add your 2 cents in the comments section. … Read more
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