When Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S to the world on Tuesday, the smartphone’s ability to take advantage of HSPA+ data speeds raised some eyebrows. Were the carriers going to brand the 4S as a “4G’ device?
It appears that Apple and AT&T are both working to replace the 3G indicator in the iPhone 4S status bar with the term “4G.” Will the iPhone 4S actually have reliable 4G speeds? Probably not.
This is my next got the scoop:
“AT&T and T-Mobile have led the charge over the past year to brand their upgraded HSPA+ networks as “4G,” even though such networks historically don’t fall into the “4G” definition — and considering that AT&T is in the process of rolling out LTE concurrently, it can be a confusing message for customers to hear. That said, there’s no sign of AT&T’s network branding effort slowing down, but here’s a bit of a shocker: the carrier is apparently “working with Apple” to change the indicator in the iPhone 4S (which tops out at 14.4Mbps, up from the iPhone 4′s 7.2Mbps) to show “4G” in the status bar as well.”
The fact that the iPhone 4S can top out at 14.4Mbps doesn’t mean that users will see such high speeds frequently on AT&T. The iPhone 4S uses HSPA+ technology, not LTE. Classically, HSPA+ hasn’t been considered a “4G” standard. But the fact that it’s faster than regular 3G means that carriers feel the need to brand smartphones with the 4G label. (Anything for sales.)
AT&T’s LTE network is rolling out slowly in some of the bigger US cities. It won’t be until at least 2012 before LTE saturation reaches a noticeable level throughout the country.
Gizmodo has confirmed that AT&T and Apple are working to make the iPhone 4S say “4G” in the status bar, even though you won’t really have what’s technically considered “4G” speeds.
Hooray.
