Nikkei Business reports [Google translation] that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has reached an agreement with Apple that will see an LTE-enabled version of the iPad launch next summer, with an LTE iPhone to follow in the fall. The agreement is said to have been hammered out in discussions that saw NTT DoCoMo senior executives travel to Cupertino earlier this month to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The two companies reportedly reached a basic agreement on bringing the next-generation iPad and iPhone to the carrier, with more specific negotiations now focusing on details such as guaranteed sales volumes. Earlier this month it was reported that Apple and NTT DoCoMo were in discussions about the iPhone but that DoCoMo was hesitant to agree to Apple's demands on unit volume and its refusal to allow the carrier to add its own applications to the device.
Apple has yet to add LTE technology, which will enable faster data speeds, to its mobile devices over battery life concerns and a simple lack of chips appropriate for Apple's needs. But with carriers such as Verizon reaching a significant buildout of LTE and other major carriers also in the early stages of rolling out the faster network technology to their customers, Apple may be looking to take advantage of forthcoming LTE chips from Qualcomm to begin supporting the technology in 2012.
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
Apple’s iCloud Private Relay service is down for some users, according to Apple’s System Status page. Apple says that the iCloud Private Relay service may be slow or unavailable. The outage started at 2:34 p.m. Eastern Time, but it does not appear to be affecting all iCloud users. Some impacted users are unable to browse the web without turning iCloud Private Relay off, while others are...
Did anyone really expect Apple not to release an LTE capable phone? Their MO is pretty consistent: adopt the latest and greatest when it doesnt compromise the experience. Sometimes that means Apple products are well ahead of the curve (e.g. FireWire, Thunderbolt, USB) sometimes it means theyre behind the curve (e.g. 3G, GPS, LTE) but they rarely miss the sweet spot of being a first class performer when the average consumer is ready.
LTE is great and all, but I don't totally get how stuck up people are on it. No matter what software tricks apple can do, 3G will probably always trump LTE battery wise. Until you can get an LTE phone to last all day whats the point when 3G does pretty darn good by itself?
I am talking more towards the att people here as Verizons network - while more extensive in more rural areas especially - isn't as fast as att, but do webpages generally load slow for all you guys/girls? I generally wait about one second for a mobile formatted web page to load, maybe 2 for a full version of some site. Id take that plus a couple/few hours longer on the battery? As for file downloads (like iTunes) I am unlikely to do that on LTE anyway, because by time I am forced to switch I am sure I will loose my grandfathered unlimited plan. I am not about to download a full album of songs and eat 150-200mb of a 2gb plan. ymmv of course.
On a completely different note, no one mentioned the other piece of the rumor regarding DoCoMo hung up on wanting to install their own cr@pware on the iPhone. That never flew on the mac (namely bc apple didn't have any third party companies involved with the mac), hasn't so far on the iPhone, and I hope never does. Telecoms can hardly manage their core business. Please stay out of the bloatware business. We see how well that worked on every single phone prior to the iPhone.
----------
4G LTE iPhone 5 on Verizon, June 2012.
I'm guessing more like October. Dollars to doughnuts thats the new upgrade cycle, Oct to Oct.
LTE support would be a nice addition but, unfortunately, LTE is still very rare in Europe so it will be more of a feature for the Americans and Asians.
Oh, and I would be - well, not pissed, but - dissapointed with Apple if they release a new iPad in Q2 2012, and than to release a newer iPad in Q3 or Q4 of 2012.
--------- I also expect from Apple to announce a huge upgrade over the iPhone 4S for the sixth generation iPhone in 2012. Apple is starting to lag behind when you look at the specs.
I'd just love to see a Super AMOLED Plus display in the next generation iPhone. First I was against it, but the "Plus"-variant is actually quite good. Great viewing angle, great battery life, great colours and a huge contrast. Although unlikely, I really hope they are going to use Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus (2?) displays in 2012 for the next-generation iPhone.
AT&T is really not as bad as people on this site make it out to be.
Yes... they are actually. They've been #1 worst carrier for years now, their tech support is worse than third rate, they nickel and time everyone, they drop calls, have horrible 3G coverage, have a very unstable network, are trying to lie by putting a 4G symbol on their iPhone 4S in place of a 3G symbol. Need I go on?
Did anyone really expect Apple not to release an LTE capable phone? Their MO is pretty consistent: adopt the latest and greatest when it doesnt compromise the experience. Sometimes that means Apple products are well ahead of the curve (e.g. FireWire, Thunderbolt, USB) sometimes it means theyre behind the curve (e.g. 3G, GPS, LTE) but they rarely miss the sweet spot of being a first class performer when the average consumer is ready.
Nikkei Business reports [Google translation] that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has reached an agreement with Apple that will see an LTE-enabled version of the iPad launch next summer, with an LTE iPhone to follow in the fall. The agreement is said to have been hammered out in discussions that saw NTT DoCoMo senior executives travel to Cupertino earlier this month to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
