Apple LTE-enabled iPhone Due in 2012, iPhone 4S Preparations for September 2011

iphone 4 side shot

Though not a particular surprise, Digitime's sources claim that the LTE-enabled "iPhone 4S" is unlikely to launch until 2012.

Apple is likely to delay the launch of its LTE-enabled iPhones to 2012, said the sources, noting that the industry had also long been skeptical about the launch of LTE iPhones in 2011 as the implementation of LTE networks has not yet matured.

LTE is the next generation data transfer technology beyond 3G and is frequently labeled 4G. Both AT&T and Verizon are supporting LTE as their next generation data protocol.

Digitimes' report confusingly refers to the 2012 iPhone as the "4S" which is the name also given to expected 2011 iPhone. In a separate report Digitimes says that Apple is already lowering iPhone 4 orders in the second quarter of 2011 in anticipation of the new model in September.

Production of iPhone 4S will begin in August and the earliest launch may be in September. All the 3G and CDMA chips for iPhone 4S will be supplied by Qualcomm and the rear camera will be upgraded to a 8-megapixel resolution model with OmniVision Technologies and Taiwan-based Largan Precision to supply image sensors and lens kits respectively, the sources indicated.

Apple is widely expected to launch a new iPhone around September this year, but most have expected that support for 4G networks would likely wait until 2012. Other reports have also said that the proper LTE chips simply won't be ready for production in 2011.

Popular Stories

Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 3

Monday November 17, 2025 3:20 pm PST by
Apple provided developers with the third beta of an upcoming iOS 26.2 update, and there are still new features that are being added with each beta that we get. We've rounded up all of the changes that Apple made in beta 3. AirDrop Apple added new AirDrop functionality, providing a way for two people to share files temporarily without having to add one another as contacts. iOS 26.2...
applecare apple care banner

Apple Brings New AppleCare+ Options to India

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:42 am PST by
Apple today announced an expansion of AppleCare+ coverage in India, with new options for monthly and annual plans, and the addition of Theft and Loss for iPhone for the first time. Options for monthly and annual AppleCare+ plans in India provide more choice and flexibility, allowing users to keep coverage for as long as they require. Apple's vice president of Worldwide iPhone Product...
ipad mini 7 feature red and blue

iPad Mini 8: Four Major New Features to Expect

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:50 am PST by
Apple's eighth-generation iPad mini is highly likely to arrive next year, offering a significant refresh of the device with at least four major new features. OLED Display The next-generation version of the iPad mini could feature an OLED display, as part of Apple's plan to expand the display technology across many more of its devices. Apple's first OLED device was the Apple Watch in 2015, ...
iPhone 17 Pro and Air N1 Feature

iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 16 Wi-Fi Speeds: New Study Reveals the Winner

Tuesday November 18, 2025 10:53 am PST by
A new study has revealed that the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air achieve significantly faster average Wi-Fi speeds compared to the iPhone 16 series, thanks to Apple's custom-designed N1 chip. The study was conducted by Ookla, the company behind the popular Speedtest website and app. It said the results are based on global, crowdsourced Speedtest user data...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

iPhone Driver's License Feature Launching in Illinois

Tuesday November 18, 2025 8:47 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Starting this Wednesday, November 19, the feature will be available to residents of Illinois. The announcement confirmed that the...
macbook black friday

The Best Early Black Friday Mac Deals

Tuesday November 18, 2025 7:32 am PST by
We're getting closer to Black Friday, which lands next week on Friday, November 28. In the lead-up to the shopping holiday, we're tracking a few lowest-ever prices on Apple's most popular Macs, including the M4 MacBook Air and brand new M5 MacBook Pro. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Magic Keyboard Touch ID Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for 140W USB-C Power Adapter, Magic Keyboard and Magic Trackpad

Tuesday November 18, 2025 1:05 pm PST by
Apple today released updated firmware for several accessories, including the 140W USB-C Power Adapter, the Magic Trackpad 2, the Magic Trackpad USB-C, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad. There is no word on what's included in the updated firmware at this time, but it could offer performance improvements and security updates. Accessory...

Top Rated Comments

ThisIsNotMe Avatar
189 months ago
Your spiffy new A5 (which really isn't that great of a processor, compared to a lot of what's already in the Android universe) won't make a whit of difference when every app being released is designed to support the A-4 and millions of iP4 users.

It's like the PS3 v. 360 -- the PS3 is loads more powerful, but most games are designed to be cross-platform, so they're programmed to the 360's specs and the PS3 doesn't see it's increased muscle get flexed.

It's a minor upgrade. At best, you'll end up with a phone that launches Safari quickly only to see it bottlenecked by low-speed 3G access while everyone else screams by on high-speed connections. Congratulations, you just re-bought the last 14.4K bps modem while everyone else was going to Ethernet.

Ya, sure looks like the A5 gets trounced by those pesky Android devices :rolleyes:

Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr Fusion Avatar
189 months ago
Once again, I'm happy to be on the "even" iPhone upgrade cycle. :)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ThisIsNotMe Avatar
189 months ago
I don't get why everyone is pissy over the 4 "GS" because the upgrade is "minor".

Did people no need the A5 vs A4 benchmarks in the iPad vs iPad 2?

It like saying that the 3G to 3GS upgrade was minor. The 3G to 3GS upgrade was probably the biggest leap in hardware.

Everyone is bitching because the case will stay the same...but all I have to say is 'so what'.

The inclusion of the A5 is a MAJOR upgrade. Period.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
propynyl Avatar
189 months ago
2011, the year Apple hands Google's Android the lead on a silver platter.

The iPhone 3GS was the first iPhone that gave the competition a year to catch up. Now they're giving them another 18months!? Lazy.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jason2811 Avatar
189 months ago
Do people not understand how numbers work? If this next iPhone is indeed named the 4S, the phone that comes out in 2012 will not be called the iPhone 5. How would that make ANY sense to name the 6th revision of the phone the #5?

There are two options here: iPhone, 3G, 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 6 OR keep the normal number system iPhone (1), 3G (2), 3GS (3), iPhone 4, iPhone 5, iPhone 6.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rfahey Avatar
189 months ago
Everytime you guys post a "4s" rumor i want to virtually slap you 'cross the face.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)