A report from our source suggests that Apple’s carrier partner in the United Arab Emirates has apparently confirmed that the next iPhone, which he called the iPhone 5, will feature support for LTE 4G data.
The report is dubious, as there are many reasons why this Fall’s supposed iPhone will NOT have LTE. Among those reasons are the lack of a proper “world phone” LTE chip that is power efficient enough to appease Apple, and Apple executives have stated that the current LTE chips would force design changes that they just aren’t willing to make, so take this rumor lightly.
The rumor is sourced from some comment’s made by the head of Etisalat’s corporate communication:
Yes, we are in talks with most smartphone manufacturers including Apple on the rollout of the 4G handset, iPhone 5 later this year. As the first telecom organisation to roll out the 4G network, LTE, in the Middle East, we have already started talking to them for the handsets and chipsets in them.
Note: This guy is, in all likelihood, completely wrong about this. With the next iPhone slated for this fall, possibly in September or October, LTE support is just not feasible. The networks don’t have very much LTE infrastructure, and the LTE hardware is still immature and power-hungry, with proper chips not being expected until sometime next year.
So, take this rumor as you will. As for me, I’m taking the route of the skeptic on this one. Your thoughts? Sound off in the comments!
