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The Korea Times reports (via Engadget) that Apple and South Korean carrier SK Telecom are in talks regarding a future iPhone that would support faster LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) data networks. Just last week, the carrier announced the launch of the world's first publicly accessible LTE-A network.
“SK Telecom is approaching Apple to put our LTE-A technology on the upcoming iPhone 5S. We are in the middle of negotiations,” said an SK Telecom executive, requesting anonymity. [...]
Because Korea has recently seen a huge demand for devices supporting high-speed networks, Apple intends to use Korea as the litmus test to gauge the marketability of LTE-A technology before making inroads into China, according to industry sources.
LTE-A supports a theoretical maximum download speed of 150 Mbps, twice as fast as the LTE standard used on the iPhone 5, although real-world speeds are in general significantly slower than theoretical maximums.
The report suggests that Apple could release an LTE-A iPhone "in the coming months" on the iPhone 5S, but it seems fairly unlikely that Apple would be prepared to support the standard so soon after beginning negotiations with SK Telecom, even if the company has already been working on the technology.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)I don't need my LTE to be faster than my home WiFi, if I only get 2GB a month ...
All this speed is speed for the sake of more speed.
No money is being spent by any of the carriers to make
their VOICE system more reliable. Like twenty years ago
we still get dropped calls...no service etc.
The cell phone manufactures have forgotten we use this device to actually
talk to someone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A bold statement indeed.
Wow, 150 Mbps. That should burn through a data plan nice and fast :D
Yeah, if you're irresponsible. :rolleyes: