Apple Field-Testing iOS 5 Devices With LTE, Could Launch With iPad 3 in 2012 [Rumor]

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ipad 2 under iphone 4

A slew of rumors have surfaced this weekend that point towards Apple currently field-testing 4G iDevices in the wild running the latest builds of iOS 5. LTE code has been uncovered in recent beta builds of iOS 5, and speculation is that Apple could release the iPad 3 with LTE capability in early 2012.

Reports have already come out that Apple is testing LTE iPhones in the wild, and it was recently uncovered that AT&T was installing 4G equipment in Apple stores. Will we see the first 4G device from Apple in early 2012?

MacRumors has uncovered the LTE plist file that was reported originally by BGR in the “last couple builds of iOS 5.” iOS 5 Beta 6 was released to developers this past Friday, and it’s expected that the software will reach its final, GM stage in about a month.

This LTE plist was originally assumed to mean that Apple is currently field testing iDevices with 4G capability, and apparently Apple’s internal “Fieldtest” application has a huge part in keeping usage logs and ironing out bugs with LTE technology for Apple. These LTE code references only exist on the GSM iPhone 4 and CDMA iPad 2 versions of iOS 5 at this time.

The first question that everyone wonders is whether or not the next iPhone will have 4G speeds. According to current information, it doesn’t look like Apple is gearing up for a LTE device until 2012. The iPad 3 looks like the perfect candidate for the introduction of 4G network access.

Apple COO Tim Cook made the comment earlier this year that implementing LTE chipsets would “force design changes we wouldn’t make.” The iPad is Apple’s largest device with the most room for components, and if the rumors of a smaller, iCloud-based iPhone are true, the next smartphone from Apple may have even less room than the iPhone 4. And that’s not to mention the drain on battery life and performance that current 4G chipsets impose on handsets.

If any device will have 4G in the upcoming year, it would most likely be the next iPad. A recent report pegged the iPad 3’s unveiling in the early 2012 timeframe, and the upcoming tablet could very well be Apple’s introductory 4G device.

9to5Mac has an interesting tidbit that also corroborates this theory:

“According to a source within Apple’s retail operations, Apple and Verizon installed Verizon 3G antennas in select Apple Stores around six months prior to the launch of the Verizon iPhone 4. Today we are in late August, around six months prior to the “early 2012″ launch of the iPad 3.

We are also amidst the process of Apple, AT&T, and Verizon installing LTE antennas in Apple Stores. While the connection here is quite obvious and a nice coincidence, we have no way of knowing if it is more than a just coincidence; we sure hope it is, though.”

This news definitely points towards Apple’s internal focus on 4G technology. Qualcomm’s MDM9615 chip is the most probable candidate for future 4G devices from Apple, and that silicon won’t be available until next year, with samplings happening in late 2011. There’s always the chance that Apple has obtained exclusive rights to Qualcomm’s 4G chip for 2012, as the Cupertino company has been known to do that sort of thing in the past.

One thing’s for sure: Apple isn’t ignoring 4G network adoption. However, don’t get your hopes up for a 4G iPhone this Fall. 2012 will be the year of consumer transition to 4G. We’re all still experiencing the birth pangs of 4G technology in 2011.

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