T-Mobile recently announced the details their plans to upgrade to LTE in 2013 thanks to a chunk of the 1900 MHz spectrum they earned through the busted-up AT&T deal. Those upgrades will also include enhancements on HSPA+, which should -- finally -- support the iPhone. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean that T-Mobile will be selling the iPhone any time soon, but they've been more than happy to accommodate iPhone-toting AT&T expatriates so far, and this HSPA+ expansion should make that job much easier.

We're holding out for an LTE-capable iPhone 5 to hit the streets this fall, but even if T-Mobile has their first LTE markets ready early on in 2013 and manages to lock down an agreement with Apple to sell it, it will be at least three or four months behind the other major U.S. service providers. That's going to be a steep handicap, especially considering Sprint will keep offering unlimited plans for the foreseeable future.

Even without LTE, if Apple includes the same HSPA+ 42 radio in the next iPhone that they included in the new iPad, and T-Mobile manages to get the device on their network, performance might not be too bad.

Given how high a percentage of sales the iPhone made up on AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint last quarter, and how not having the iPhone seemed to put a dent in T-Mobile's sales, we're guessing there might be some deals to be made.

Any T-Mobile customers out there itching to get HSPA+ on their iPhones? Would any of you on AT&T be willing to switch to T-Mobile if you knew you could keep your wireless data speeds?

Source: T-Mobile

The new iPad brings with it the option for a new, dual radio that brings with it 72Mbps LTE on AT&T and Verizon in the US and Rogers, Telus, and Bell in Canada. Sadly, there's no international LTE support for Australia, Asia, or Europe yet, perhaps due to the differences in LTE segments around the world. However, the new iPad also brings a new 42Mbps HSPA+ radio for AT&T, Canadian, and international carriers that support it. (Technically dual 21Mbps HSPA+ radios.) Those are theoretical speeds though -- what you get in a lab when alone, sitting on top of a tower. In the real world we're often lucky to see half the theoretical speeds, and often considerably less. That's why we put them to the test.

New iPad radios specs

The new iPad supports the following cellular radio frequencies:

• 4G LTE at 700, 2100 MHz (Verizon model at 700 Mhz only)
• UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA at 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
• GSM/EDGE at 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
• CDMA EV-DO Rev. A at 800, 1900 MHz

New iPad LTE and HSPA+ speed tests

LTE is a powerhouse, likely faster than many home broadband connections. HSPA+ is no slouch either when it comes to downloads, though uploads are disappointing.

I took the new iPad out to a local coffee shop to see what type of real-world results I could get. The first thing I did was load up the SpeedTest.net app [free - Download now] app and run it 3 times on LTE to make sure I was getting consistent results. I've gotten close to 50Mbps before, both with an LTE stick and with the new iPad on launch day, but these tests had me hitting almost 30Mbps down and over 10Mbps up consistently. (On 2 bars of LTE, for whatever that's worth.)

You can quickly turn off LTE with a flip of a toggle switch in Settings, and the handoff is extremely smooth and quick -- the LTE indicator goes off and the 3G (or 4G on AT&T... sigh) comes on. I repeated the same test 3 times, and averaged around 15Mbps down and 0.75Mbps up. I've only ever gotten between 5 and 8Mbps down on the iPad 2 or iPhone 4S, so that new HSPA+ down (HSPDA) really is much faster. The upload speed really wasn't great though. (On 4 bars of HSPA+.)

Now switching back from HSPA+ to LTE has proven to be a problem for me. I don't know if it's because I have really strong 3G and really weak LTE, so once the radio gets a taste of that stronger signal it won't let go, but even if I cycle LTE on and off, cellular data on and off, or Airplane Mode off or on, LTE just won't come back. All I can do is wait for a while (several minutes) for it to "find" LTE again, or power cycle and get it back after reboot.

(If you've tested the LTE to HSPA+ handoff, share your experience, so we can better figure it out.)

New iPad LTE and HSPA+ HD video test

After the reboot, I put the LTE radio to a more real-world test -- streaming the Avengers movie trailer in HD. (I could have gone with Prometheus but Avengers had a Hulk...) It worked flawlessly. The trailer began to play almost immediately and never once stopped or stuttered. The download indicator stayed well ahead of the play indicator the whole time. It was as good as being on Wi-Fi. Fast Wi-Fi.

HSPA+ didn't do nearly as well. The trailer started playing almost immediately but also came to a screeching halt almost immediately as well. The download indicator limped ahead, but at no time did it race the way LTE did.

Apple might send lower resolution or lower bit-rate video to slower connections, so I'm not sure HSPA+ was even taking the same load, but either way, it wasn't up to the task.

Like the previous tests, I repeated each 3 times for consistency, and also drove around and tried them in several other locations, though I haven't gotten more than 2 bars of LTE, and in some places I haven't been able to connect to LTE at all.

Conclusion

Overall, however, both the new LTE and the new HSPA+ antennas in the new iPad are impressive, the LTE most of all. If always connected, on-the-go internet is important to you, and you live, work, and travel to places with LTE coverage, you want this.

Addenda for Verizon LTE

Something to keep in mind for those considering the new iPad on Verizon LTE -- while the AT&T and Canadian LTE models fall back on the impressive (for downloads at least) HSPA+, the Verizon model falls back on the anemic EVDO Rev. A, which averages 2 or 3Mbps. I wouldn't even attempt to play an HD trailer over that. I'd wait to get back to Wi-Fi. It would probably take less time.

If you've updated your AT&T iPhone to iOS 5.1, you may have noticed that the signal indicator in the top-left now reads 4G instead of 3G. Now, before your mind gets blown all over the place, there's no actual upgrade here; it's just your garden-variety marketing doucherosity wriggling its slimy way into a software update.

AT&T could not possibly abide by competitors have more or higher-quality "Gs" than they do, so they've had Apple arbitrarily change the wording of the signal indicator. They've apparently been trying to do this for months, though why Apple caved is still hard to understand.

Of course, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has made it so that carriers can do this without repercussion. They're allowing HSPA+ 14.4 and faster networks to be called 4G right alongside 72mbps and faster LTE networks, and they've ruined any practical use of talking in terms of 3G or 4G networks; in fact, AT&T has already been taking plenty of advantage of this opportunity with Android devices.

Yes, as we joked and feared, AT&T has beaten Apple to create a 4G iPhone.

So welcome to the world of 4G, AT&T iPhone owners. Do you feel faster? Does simply seeing "4G" on your home screen make you feel more in the future?

Source: @ichadman

There were rumors the 2011 GSM/AT&T iPhone would have an HSPA+ radio for faster download speeds but when Apple announced the iPhone 4S, while they said it would do 14.4 mbps, they only listed it as an HSPA device.

Now, some are of the opinion that anything under 21 mbps should qualify as HSPA+, so iPhone 4S with only 14.4 mbps speed shouldn't qualify. However, 3GPP release 7 doesn't mandate that faster speeds are necessary to qualify as HSPA+ -- a device can support any 3GPP release 7 feature and still be classified as HSPA+. The Qualcomm chipset in iPhone 4S uses 3GPP features, and so it's an HSPA+ radio, speed be damned.

So while iPhone 4S did indeed get its HSPA+, it didn't get the 21 mbps or 42 mbps speed to go with it that many were hoping for. Also, Apple chose to neatly sidestep the whole 4G/fake 4G issue, so we won't open that can of worms here either.

Note: This applies only to the GSM/AT&T iPhone 4S. The CDMA/Verizon/Sprint iPhone 4S retains the same EV-DO rev A radio as the iPhone 4.

More: AnandTech

Thanks: @nerdtalker, @justin_horn, @varek, @shuxley

During a presentation at Macworld Asia, China Unicom revealed that, as long and widely rumored, iPhone 5 will support HSPA+ networks.

Japanese IT news site "PC Watch" tells that, Research vice president of China Unicom, Huan Wenliang, told iPhone 5 will support W-CDMA based high-speed data transfer standard HSPA Evolution "HSPA+" (21Mbps) at keynote speech in Macworld Asia 2011.

While HSPA+ is really a 3.5G technology, T-Mobile, AT&T, and now many other carriers have been marketing it as 4G for a while now in order to compete with real 4G networks like Verizon LTE. (Turns out it's easier to print 4G on a box than build out an actual LTE network, go figure?)

It will be interesting to see how an HSPA+ iPhone will be marketed by AT&T. Will Apple let them call it a 4G iPhone?

Source: PC Watch via MacRumors

Apple doesn't currently make or market an iPhone 4G but given recent North American marketing shenanigans by the carriers, they might just get one sooner than anticipated. There was a time when 4G applied to really fast, really next generation mobile connectivity, like fully implemented voice/data LTE approaching 100 Mbps. Then Sprint launched Wi-Max as 4G. Then T-Mobile rebranded HSPA+ as 4G. Then Verizon deployed early stage LTE as 4G. Then AT&T rebranded their slower HSPA+ as 4G. 100 Mbps got shoved aside, and 21 Mbps, even 14.4 Mbps became "4G". Canadian carriers, which had previously called their 14.4 Mbps and even 21 Mbps HSPA+ networks "3G" have recently rebranded them to "4G" as well so as not to seem old and outdated. (For more on what all these terms mean, check out our networking glossary.)

No doubt it's easier to change a name than change a network, and easier to slap the letters 4G onto a phone than actually getting a real, power efficient, lightning fast 4G radio into one. But that's no excuse.

Verizon is arguably the closest with their early stage LTE deployment and phone like the Thunderbolt that don't get great battery life but do get amazing speeds.

My counterpart over at Android Central, Phil Nickinson has done a review of the Verizon LTE HTC Thunderbolt (and also told the carriers to kindly cut out the 4G smoke in our eyes), while PreCentral.net's Derek Kessler has just reviewed the AT&T HSPA+ HP Veer 4G.

The iPhone isn't expected to go LTE until 2012 but iPhone 5 might just go HSPA+ this fall. (14.4 or 21 Mbps, who knows?) And guess what, AT&T will probably call it "4G"...

...Especially since the CDMA version on Verizon will still be "3G" EVDO Rev A for another generation.

That's a huge competitive advantage, but hugely confusing for users.

South Korean carrier SK Telecom announced yesterday that it will begin offering the iPhone 4 on March 16th, further expanding the reach Apple has made in Korea and breaking the exclusivity KT Telecom previously held for the iPhone.

"SK Telecom is proud to offer iPhone 4 on the nation's top network," said So Jin-Woo, President of Platform Business and Co-CEO of SK Telecom. "Our customers will benefit from flexible tariff plans tailored to their unique usage needs along with a high level of customer care."

Eager iPhone buyers can pre-register starting today from their website or at one of 1,500 authorized SK Telecom retail outlets. Although SK Telecom runs both CDMA and HSPA networks they have announced the iPhone 4 will function under their HSPA infrastructure.

Any readers in Korea planning on picking up an iPhone 4 on March 16th? Let us know in the comments!

[SK Telecom]

AT&T isn't getting an LTE iPhone 4G any time soon but they are launching 4G, in fact -- look up, look down -- they just did! Actually, what they did was call HSPA+ "4G" because it goes faster than regular old HSPA 3G and because T-Mobile is already doing that and Sprint is calling WiMax "4G", and Verizon is calling early LTE "4G", so why not? And when real LTE 4G comes out, that could be called 4G as well (though I bet they'll call it 5G to have even more Gs, because that's better, right?)

I got to watch a little of the brouhaha unfold this morning live in the CES hallways and after talking it over with some fellow bloggers the nut seems to be this -- AT&T might get an HSPA+ iPhone "4G" later this year or next year or maybe they'll get an LTE iPhone 4G in 2012, but we don't know and the terms are so deliberately marketing skewed it doesn't mean much anyway at this point. (iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 only supports HSPA 7.2, not the much faster HSPA+ 21 carriers like Bell and Telus have been offering for a while already.)

All you really have to know is this -- future iPhones will be faster, most years by a little, once in a while by a lot.

[Update: BGR says maybe HSPA+ "4G" next year]

We now return you to our regularly scheduled Verizon, iPhone 5, and iPad 2 rumors...

T-Mobile's latest TV add takes shots at Apple and AT&T alike, exclaiming that they now have "America's Largest 4G Network". They also pit their new myTouch 4G against the iPhone 4 in what seems oddly similar to the Mac vs. PC commercials of yesteryear.

Whether or not you believe HSPA+ is really 4G, T-Mobile is careful not take direct shots at the iPhone. It mainly focuses on AT&T's known network limitations (specifically the fact they don't allow 3G video calling). T-Mobile probably made the right decision there as I'm sure they would love to get their hands on the iPhone to help bolster their sales.

Check out the video after the break and let us know your thoughts on T-Mobiles shots at Apple/AT&T.

[ Android Central ]

My iPhone 4 is getting pretty much the same 3G HSPA speed under iOS 4.1 as it was under 4.0.x, how about you? There was nothing overtly mention in iOS 4.1 that should have changed things, but you never know what gets tuned under the covers, never mind what your carrier is up to in your region.

One of our readers, Paul, swears his speed has tanked by a factor of 10 since the update.

So break out your favorite measuring tool (I used the SpeedTest.net app) and let us know where you are and what your speeds are like.

You know the drill -- iPhone 4 just went on sale in 17 additional countries so hit up your favorite speed test (I used the speedtest.net app) and let us know how the new HSUPA (high speed upload) radio is treating you.

(And if you're in the US and have just gotten yours fixed, let us know how that's working as well).

While iPhone 4 adds 3G HSUPA (high speed uploads) to preview HSDPA 7.2 (high speed downloads) and is giving many users much faster data, others are filling our inboxes with complaints their speeds are so slow they border on 2G EDGE... or worse.

I know when I upgraded my iPhone 3GS to iOS 4 I had some data issues but almost immediately my carrier, Rogers, pushed out an OTA (over the air) Carrier Settings Update, taking it from 7.0 to 7.1. After that, I was flying.

AT&T seems to still be on 7.0, could a 7.1 update fix the woes of those currently suffering from poor 3G connections? We'll have to wait and see.

iPhone 4 really is faster, but once again it's confusing when many people have no problem and get to enjoy that speed boost, and others have nothing but problems and speed bumps.

Let us know which group you fall into, on what network, and where.

What kind of upload and download speeds are you getting on your iPad Wi-Fi + 3G? Apple included an HSPA 7.2 3G radio on the iPad 3G, so if you're on an HSPA+ 21 network like Bell/Telus you won't approach that face-peeling velocity, and in the real world where you're not sitting on top of your own cell tower in a test lab, you probably won't hit 7.2 either, but we're curious to know what kind of performance you do get.

So far, on Rogers Canada, I'm getting close to 4mb/s as measured by the SpeedTest.net app [iTunes link], which is pretty much the same as I get on the similarly equipped iPhone 3GS.

Let us know where you are, which carrier you're on, and what data speed you're getting.

Are recent iPhone reception problems on Rogers Canada the result of Bell and Telus putting up "dummy" HSPA towers? That's what a Rogers rep told one customer who complained about calls cutting in and out for the last couple of weeks.

I apologize for the inconvenience that is happening with you're iphone. It is probable due to the new hspa dummy towers being put up by other carriers that it is interfering with you're signal. So I would advise to manually select the rogers network instead of the phone doing an automatic selection which it does by default. To manually connect on an iphone do the following. On the phone go to 'settings' then go to 'carriers' uncheck automatic and only select rogers from that list.

I've been having similar problems, only while in the western part of downtown Montreal, and also only for the last two weeks, and I know of almost a half-dozen others with the same problem in the same area.

Are dummy HSPA towers a likely explanation? We'll give Rogers' proposed solution a try and get back to you. If you've been having the same problem, let us know if it works, or if you have other ideas.

It seems as if AT&T is gearing up to launch their HSPA 7.2 in the Dallas area, making good on their promise of having it rolled out in 6 major cities 1 major city in the US. (If anyone in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, or Miami is seeing signs of the boost yet, let us know).

This is indeed the right time for AT&T to give their network a boost, especially with image the latest Verizon "map for that" commercials portray.

With these upgrades, you should have a better wireless experience with more capacity on our network and improved coverage inside your home and other buildings throughout the DFW area. Look for improved coverage in area communities like Allen, Arlington, Carrollton, Colleyville, Dallas, Denton, Ft. Worth, Frisco, Garland, Grapevine, Grand Prairie, Irving, Keller, Mesquite, McKinney, Lewisville, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall, Southlake and more. We updated nearly 1,000 cell sites in these areas! The fastest gets faster! AT&T has the fastest network in Dallas/Ft. Worth* and we’re excited to announce that Dallas will be among the first 6 major U.S. cities in which AT&T plans to upgrade its existing 3G technology to HSPA 7.2.** This new upgrade will provide considerably faster mobile broadband speeds, and we plan to make it available by the end of the year.

AT&T claims to have spent 50 million to improve their 850 mhz network in Dallas alone. That should mean pristine service for those enough luck enough to be a resident of the Dallas area. At least you that's what one would hope...

[Thanks to David for the tip!]

TiPb, among others, has been hearing rumors for months now that Bell and Telus' new GSM-based HSPA+ network would be up and running by November, and that the iPhone would follow along immediately there after. Nice to see some confirmation via Canadian stalwart, the Globe and Mail, however:

Bell announced Monday that it will launch national service in November on the $1-billion next-generation wireless network it has been building with Telus, months ahead of schedule. The project extends the two companies' existing third-generation (3G) networks to include the same technology standard employed by Rogers, the nation's largest cellphone company.

No comments from any of the carriers or Apple, of course, and it remains to be seen what if any downward pressure competition in Canada -- like in the UK -- would put on iPhone pricing for consumers.

Our question: Bell and Telus will have HSPA+ but no EDGE (to our knowledge), so if an iPhone on Bell or Telus couldn't get a 3G signal, what exactly would it fall back on? EVDO/CDMA is not an option...

Welcome to iPhone Analysts vs. the Magic 8-Ball, where we take the often outlandish, sometime surreal predictions of iPhone analysts and pundits, blogeratti and the ‘net elite, and compare them to the potentially equally precise prognostications of a… magic 8-ball (running on an iPhone, of course!)

Mike Abramsky, seasoned veteran of of RBC weighs in on an iPhone 3G "Pro" with the following specs, and the Magic 8-Ball chimes in with its pedictions in italics:

• iPhone 3G "Pro" nickname. As I see it, yes
• Retail price to stay the same $199/$299. My reply is no
• Wireless UMTS/HSUPA, Wifi, Bluetooth. My reply is no
  (Note: our understanding is that HSUPA is to uplink what HSPDA is to downlink, and someone's mixing up their UMTS technologies there and really means a 3.5G system)
• 3.2MP camera with flash and video recording. Don't count on it.
• 16GB/32GB storage. Most likely
• 0.1" thinner. Yes
• AT&T to get it before the rest of the world. Most likely.
• Growth will not accelerate. Don't count on it.

Okay, so both of their predictions seem a little hinkey to us, but what do we know? Bring on WWDC 2009, and until then, thanks everyone for playing Analyst vs. Magic 8-Ball and be sure to leave your predictions, and your thoughts on their predictions, in the comments!

[Via Apple Insider. Thanks to Jimmie for the tip!]

This is it. We're in the home stretch. Bottom of the 9th, basebands loaded with 3G, and Steve Jobs is at bat. In 7 days we find out if Apple scores a home run, the two-peat for smartphone (even gadget) of the year, or if they strike out with their mostly evolutionary, not so much revolutionary, next generation handset.

What's the difference? The big one -- at least this time around -- is in the name. 3G, which stands for 3rd generation, but not for the device itself -- for the 3rd generation cellular technology that powers it.

Read on after the break to find out just why 3G will make a big difference to you!

The original iPhone is limited to 2.5G/2.75G mobile data technology, better known as EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution), which is analogous to a dial-up internet: SLOW. Even with their "fine edge" boost in anticipation of the original iPhone, AT&T's speeds topped out at a crawl. Another drawback is that EDGE did not allow for simultaneous voice and data connections. You couldn't talk on the phone and surf the web over EDGE at the same time. And while theoretically your iPhone should have elegantly quit surfing, for example, to take a call, all too often it would simply dump incoming calls to voice mail rather than switch.

The iPhone 3G, thanks to its In uses the 3G HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technology, both HSPDA (Downlink) and HSPUA (Uplink), which is much closer to low-end broadband DSL speeds. While not yet as common or widespread as EDGE, AT&T (and other carriers around the world, especially in more advanced and populated areas like Europe) are rapidly building out their networks, and these speeds are, well... like a power walk. (We'll have to wait for 4G LTE in several years before we can get our run on). And the bonus? HSPA can handle simultaneous voice and data. So with the iPhone 3G, you can chat with your friend, hit up a webpage for an image, save it to your camera roll, and then mail it to the same friend before you even finish talking. That's next generation!

The drawback to 3G? It consumes more battery life. Using 3G, your iPhone is rated at only 5 hours talk time. Switch it off and degrade back to 2G and you get double -- 10 hours.

Not everyone will have a choice, of course. Many areas in North America don't have 3G coverage yet, but if yours does, and you value multi-tasking communications, the iPhone and its 3G power will definitely appeal to you.

I know I want it. What about you?