Rumors about the next version of the iPhone, reportedly titled the iPhone 5 at this juncture of the handsets pre-official existence, have started to kick in gear with the release of the device getting closer. One of those persistent rumors surrounds LTE, or Long Term Evolution. It’s the 4G technology that Verizon is currently employing, and the same technology that AT&T plans on using in the future. But, while Verizon is getting ready to roll out its first handset with 4G capabilities tucked inside, it’s looking more and more like the next generation iPhone won’t be touting the same stats. But, that’s a good thing, believe it or not.
While there’s probably more than a few people out there who would argue the point that Apple launching an iPhone 5 without LTE support is dumb, there’s hopefully just as many people out there who would see why Apple would do this. It doesn’t come down to whether or not it’s dumb on Apple’s part (because it isn’t); it’s just the fact that it’s the right move for the company to make. And it’s the right move for Verizon (and AT&T, by default) to approve of.
The truth is, while LTE is in a lot of places, it’s not everywhere. Which automatically excludes people from purchasing any device with LTE support. Not because they won’t be able to find the device in their neck of the woods, and not even because LTE support isn’t coming to their region, but just because that means they’ll have a feature (perhaps even a major feature, depending on the marketing campaign at the time) that just doesn’t work. And that’s a counter-point to how Apple runs businesses. They want their stuff to just work, and having a feature that doesn’t isn’t the way things should work.
Especially not for Apple. And let’s face it, waiting to launch an iPhone with LTE support until there are more regions and subscribers (and potential iPhone 6(?) buyers) covered by 4G is just the way to go. It means more devices sold, and that gives Apple plenty of time to make the best device they can, so they can continue winning awards two or three years down the road.
But, what do you think? Were you banking on the iPhone 4 having LTE support? Or are you hoping beyond hope that all the rumors out there are untrue, and the next generation iPhone will indeed carry the 4G capabilities? Let me know in the comments below.
