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Verizon to Require 4G LTE Compatibility for 'All' Future Smartphones

Thursday January 12, 2012 11:28 am PST by Eric Slivka
CNET yesterday reported that Verizon has announced a "hard requirement" that all future smartphones released on the carrier support 4G LTE technology for faster data speeds. That requirement has naturally led to speculation that the carrier has all but confirmed that the iPhone 5 will support LTE, which had already been widely assumed and rumored.

Verizon's statement does, however, come with a minor catch, as there will reportedly be occasional exceptions to the LTE requirement, although those exceptions seem to be planned for the carrier's push-to-talk business.
From now on, nearly every smartphone, wireless hot spot, tablet, and Netbook that Verizon offers will come with LTE guns a-blazing. Yes, Virginia, that includes Windows Phone and BlackBerry devices, too.

There will be the occasional exception, however. For instance, phones on Verizon's push-to-talk network are 3G-only for now, and will remain that way until further notice.

Verizon's clear, unyielding stance on 4G--"a hard requirement," according to Verizon--may partially explain why it has picked up only one Windows Phone so far.
The report notes that Verizon currently leads the pack among U.S. carriers when it comes to LTE deployment, already covering 200 million people in 190 markets with plans to complete the buildout by the end of next year. Unsurprisingly, Verizon is seeking to use its lead in LTE to its advantage by pushing its users onto devices offering the faster speeds.

[ 127 comments ]


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smileyborg
95 months ago
Verizon is definitely not stupid enough to try to influence Apple (and risk losing the iPhone), so they're either aware that the next iPhone is LTE capable, or are prepared to make an exception for it.
Rating: 21 Votes
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840quadra
95 months ago
Are they talking 'true' 4G LTE-Advanced, or the marketed 4G that is actually much slower than the ratified standard?
Rating: 12 Votes
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*LTD*
95 months ago



Apple has all the phone companies in their pocket. If Apple doesn't want to release an LTE phone, then it won't. The carriers say all future smartphones, with the exception for Apple to do whatever they want, when they want.


Gruber described the situation very succinctly recently, and I'll paraphrase:

Microsoft to carriers: Here's several hundred million dollars. Please sell our phones. Please??

Android OEMs to carriers: Here are our phones. What do you want us to change so that you will sell them?

Apple to carriers: Here's our new phone. It comes in black or white. We will allow you to sell it.
Rating: 12 Votes
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inkswamp
95 months ago
Gees, that's funny. I misread this headline as Verizon to Require Cart before all Future Horses. Guess I need to read a little more carefully.
Rating: 10 Votes
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Consultant
95 months ago
Of course. Just like the original iPhone, currently Apple is waiting for LTE to be implemented more widely and figure out how to [not] let LTE suck all the battery life out of the phone before using it.
Rating: 8 Votes
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bearbear
95 months ago
Amazing how you guys are spinning this into Verizon somehow bullying Apple and getting upset over it. Stop with the dramatics.

Seems like a pretty standard press release and an obvious (and welcome) progression in phone tech.
Rating: 8 Votes
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dgree03
95 months ago

Gruber described the situation very succinctly recently, and I'll paraphrase:

Microsoft to carriers: Here's several hundred million dollars. Please sell our phones. Please??

Android OEMs to carriers: Here are our phones. What do you want us to change so that you will sell them?

Apple to carriers: Here's our new phone. It comes in black or white. We will allow you to sell it.


Apple needs the carriers just as much as the carriers need them. Dont be so naive!:rolleyes:
Rating: 7 Votes
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chrmjenkins
95 months ago

The newest Qualcomm chip that everyone is waiting for, and will vastly improve LTE battery life, is the MDM9615. However, last I heard, it isn't expected to be released until Q2. Assuming Apple goes with that, I don't expect to see an LTE iPhone until sometime in mid to late summer. So that would be a small delay from the June timeframe some people probably would hope for. But the addition of LTE would be well worth the small delay for Apple.

So really, I think the iPhone 5 will have LTE, but I don't think it will have anything to do with Verizon demanding it. It will have it because the chipset release dates that Apple is waiting for will finally line up with Apple's schedule.


I don't know why anyone would expect next iPhone before fall. The iPad and iPhone releases are now 6 months apart which eases component demand spikes on their suppliers.
Rating: 5 Votes
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spazzcat
95 months ago

It's not the iPhone 5. Quit calling it that. :mad:


No one but apple knows what the next iPhone will be called, so we have to call it something...
Rating: 4 Votes
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GreyStreet
95 months ago

And in order to move plans to consumers, they need market share. When you get past service, price etc., you have phone selection. Believe it or not, people want the iPhone and went to or stayed with Verizon because of it. The carriers need the handset manufacturers and vice versa. If they didn't need the handset manufacturers, they wouldn't agree to subsidize a phone that cost three times its BOM.


I agree they need each other, but 90% of the posts here made it sound like Verizon needs to bow down to Apple to allow them to service their phones. I don't think that's the case. It is just as advantageous for Apple to be on Verizon as it is for Verizon to carry the iPhone.
Rating: 4 Votes

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