Image by shapeshift, used under CreativeCommons license
Next-generation iPhones could enjoy up to twice as fast 3G connectivity and faster WiFi as well, according to rumors being pondered Friday at Silicon Valley Insider and Mac Rumors.
The speculation centers around AT&T’s stated intention to upgrade its 3G network to support 7.2 Mbps speeds, up from the 3.6 Mbps speed of the current network. The cellular provider maintains that that many of its cell towers can be upgraded through software rather than by new equipment, but current iPhone hardware limits connectivity to 3.6 Mbps, so users of Apple’s mobile devices will need a new generation of phone to enjoy faster 3G connectivity.
Additional speculation concerns the possibility of faster WiFi connectivity through a new Broadcom 802.11 chipset that would provide real Wi-Fi speeds of up to 50Mbps (versus 25Mbps for typical 802.11g) in addition to Bluetooth with support for wireless stereo audio.
While none of the speculation has been confirmed at this point, it is only logical to assume that as faster, more powerful chips become available, Apple and its service provider partners will enable devices that take advantage of them.
Perhaps the battery industry will join the advancing technology party in a meaningful way as well.
