AT&T working with Apple to cram 4G indicator onto iPhone 4S statusbar?
As TiPb feared, This Is My Next says AT&T may indeed have plans to seize some competitive advantage over Verizon and Sprint by using a little faux 4G, just as they've been doing with Android for a while now.
the carrier is apparently “working with Apple” to change the indicator in theiPhone 4S (which tops out at 14.4Mbps, up from the iPhone 4′s 7.2Mbps) to show “4G” in the status bar as well.
Apple has a history of not allowing carriers to manipulate any aspects of the iPhone so hopefully AT&T won't get too far with this. Apple themselves don't even mentioned HSPA+ in their iPhone 4S specs, even though it technically qualifies as HSPA +. Likewise, Apple SVP of marketing, Phil Schiller mentioned during the Lets Talk iPhone keynote that Apple won't get into the business of determining what's true 4G and what isn't.
Given that Verizon and Sprint are only getting the same EV-DO rev A radio speeds as iPhone 4, it's easy to see why AT&T is pushing so hard. In fact, they've even put out a handy infographic to push the point:
Source: This Is My Next, AT&T PR
There are 15 comments. Add yours.
Obviously AT&T is just looking for any advantage they could have to the normal consumers eye. What I want to know is if it would always show 4G or if it would switch from 3G to 4G where the network actually offers those types of speeds.
I have a advantage they could have. ....stop dropping fucking calls
Does the 4G standard not call for 100Mbps while mobile, and 1Gbps stationary, 14.4Mbps seems like a far cry, why can't the US carriers just be honest and stop calling it 4G...
False advertisement! Lets not speed test Verizon 4GLTE to att 4g......
And right after let's test the battery life.
Faux G.
no... what they said was, we aren't going to get into what is true 4G or not. That means that HSPA+ is not real 4G (no shit) and LTE is
Although I think 4G is misleading, I would actually like to know if I'm on HSPA+ or not. Perhaps they could make a '3G+' symbol instead of 4G?
In any case, 4G has become convoluted and the term "4G LTE" is the new standard for speed for all carriers.
Can we not block these morons spamming please?? V
I would give anything to switch from Verizon to AT&T
WHO CARES IF ITS TECHNICALLY NOT 4G! it's still 3 times the speed!
Interesting thing is that today i was speaking to an AT&T Rep and even he called the iPhone 4s a "3.5G" device... I think this a clever tactic that AT&T is trying maneuver over its competition. Regardless of if this true 4G or not, HSPA+ 14.4 is a theoretical adavntage over Sprint & Verizon
I hope Apple doesn't give them anything.
I really hope they don't let AT&T do that because they know and Apple knows that really isn't 4G.
Yes, LTE is a "4G technology." But it's not actually 4G as specified in the IMT-Advanced requirements: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4g
Calling LTE a "4G technology" is like calling the wheel "automotive technology." Yes, cars need wheels. No, just having wheels doesn't mean you have a car.