AT&T has stated they’ll be deploying LTE across 5 cities this summer, paving the way for a 4G LTE iPhone which is expected to come in 2012.

AT&T Inc. said it plans to launch its super-fast wireless network in five cities this summer as it looks to catch up to Sprint Nextel Corp. and Verizon Wireless. The company earlier this year said it would speed up its deployment of the network, underscoring the importance of keeping pace in the wireless speed game.

AT&T LTE rollout will initially kick off in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio — a modest deployment compared to Verizon, but at least it’s a start. We already know Apple won’t be hopping onto the LTE bandwagon until everything is ready, but this is a good sign that the wheels are now in motion.

AT&T recently tested their 4G network seeing speeds of around 28Mbps down and 10Mbps up, which should be a force to be reckoned with once coverage is adequate across the US.

So when it comes time for a 4G iPhone 6, who will you go with, AT&T or Verizon?

[WSJ]

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…

I was wrong when I wrote last week that Google’s Nexus line of Android phones were brilliant examples of counter-programming the iPhone. I still believe that of the Nexus One but not of the Nexus S.

I bought a Nexus One when it was made available with AT&T/Rogers-friendly 3G bands and was fairly certain I would be getting a Nexus 2 when it came out. But it didn’t. The Nexus S came out instead and while I joked the S was 2 written backwards I now believe they deliberately didn’t use the 2 and I think I know why.

The Nexus One was an aspirational device from Google that lead the way to a new generation of Android phones through much of 2010. Nexus S is more of a summation device, capping off the current generation of phones that ended 2010. Both are aimed at developers and technologists but one showed where Android was going and the other where it is.

Nexus One was the darling of CES 2010. Nexus S is loved by some bloggers but already boring others. When the Nexus One came out there weren’t really any other Android phones, or arguably any phones, to compete with either its specs or its software, including its great screen and system-wide voice integration. When the Nexus S came out it was the 6th or 7th Galaxy S device in the last couple months with some unrealized near-field communications thrown in the mix. And frankly, I still prefer the look and feel of my Nexus One to the decidedly Hasbro aesthetic Samsung just won’t let go of.

Where’s the 720p display? Where’s the pentaband radio so it can work on more than just T-Mobile 3G? Where’s the inductive charging, facial recognition, Google Voice-as-VoIP, or any other iPhone 4-killer feature? They even took out the 720p video recording, which Apple added to iPhone back in June. Sure the Galaxy S has Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will always get the newest updates first, but the same is true of the Nexus One, right?

Maybe it’s not the Nexus 2 because Samsung didn’t want to be Number 2 (insert Austin Powers joke), or maybe it’s not that next-generation, aspirational follow up device and Google didn’t want to raise that expectation, even though most of us probably heard the Nexus brand and immediately raised our own expectations. When Nexus One came out it prompted all sorts of rumors about Apple feeling the pressure and Steve Jobs promising iOS 4 and iPhone 4 would take it to Google with next release. I don’t think Apple is sweating in the least over the Nexus S, and I’m not happy about that.

Verizon has officially launched their 4G LTE network with a website, press release… but no phones yet, and especially no LTE iPhone 4G. Non-iPhone LTE phones should come by mid-2011 though we’ll probably get some sneak peaks at CES this January. Rumors still heavily suggest an iPhone 4 on Verizon early next year but just like Apple stuck to EDGE for iPhone 2G, it’s assumed they’ll be sticking to CDMA for the Verizon iPhone.

This LTE (Long Term Evolution) deployment is just the beginning of the slow, steady march towards true, fantastically fast 4G connectivity and early radios will no doubt be battery hogging, network clogging, voice-hybrid technology. Based on previous behavior, Apple will avoid them and put out an LTE iPhone 4G (and iPad 4G) in 2012 or 2013 when the radios are more mature and the networks better built out.

Still, it’s fun to dream, and if you’re really hyped up about some LTE hyperspeed, Verizon has broadband plans ready to go:

4G LTE Mobile Broadband Data Plans, Devices and Coverage Areas Verizon Wireless customers can choose from two 4G LTE Mobile Broadband data plans: $50 monthly access for 5 GB monthly allowance or $80 monthly access for 10 GB monthly allowance, both with $10/GB overage. For laptop connectivity, two 4G LTE USB modems will be initially available: the LG VL600 is available at launch and the Pantech UML290 will be available soon, each $99.99 after $50 rebate with a new two-year agreement. Both USB modems provide backward-compatibility with Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. If laptop users travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, they will automatically stay connected on the company’s 3G network.

So you could always turn the tables and tether from your laptop while you wait… right?

[Android Central]

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iOS 4.2 is in the house! We’ll save the iPad stuff for Sunday but we’re talking all about, AirView, find in Safari, and AirPrint — except for iPhone 3G. Plus, Steve Jobs, Cupertino Ninja, Unreal UDK out for iOS, free iPhone case programs a changing!

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• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

Apple states that the iPhone 4′s 3.5-inch display has 614,400 78 micrometer-wide pixels which gives us a density of 326 ppi (pixels per inch). Apple claims this will give the iPhone 4 a, “pixel density so high that the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels” (at 12 inches). So, is this just a bit of marketing magic or does the iPhone 4 display really venture beyond the limits of the human eye?

Raymond Soneira, the president of DisplayMate, a company which does analysis of screens gave these statistics: the angular resolution of the retina is 0.6 arc minutes per pixel, which he derived from the angular measure of 50 cycles per degree with each cycle being a line pair — two pixels.

Using this model if you hold an iPhone 4 at 8 inches you would be viewing 716 ppi, at 12 inches it would be 477 ppi and if you hold an iPhone 4 further away at 18 inches it would then fall to 318 ppi. From this Raymond Soneira deduced that the iPhone has significantly lower resolution than the retina. He even went further stating that you would need a resolution higher than the retina to deliver a image that looks perfect.

William H.A. Beaudot, Ph.D, a researcher from McGill University, states in his profile that “My research is aimed at understanding how visual information is integrated across space, time and its attributes by the human visual system, as well as modeling specific anatomical circuits and interactions between the visual cortical areas involved in these processes.” You got all that? Me neither… but he seems to know a lot about the visual system.

Beaudot states that 300 pixels per inch is related to standard visual acuity of 20/20 vision. This means that a normal eye can discriminate between two points by 1 arc minute (1/60 deg). 1 arc minute seen from a distance of 12 inches to a dot size of about 89 micrometer or pixel density of 286.5 dpi. Thus, since the iPhones retina display has a pixel density or 326 dpi, it is 14 % better than we would have at 12 inches with 20/20 vision. Using these facts Beaudot feels that Apples claims are accurate.

He went on to state that the optimal viewing distance quoted by Jobs is 12-inches but Beaudot feels that this may be too close. He measured that the most comfortable distance from his eye to the iPhone 3GS was 18 inches which would make Apple’s numbers even better.

So what does seem to be agreed upon is that from 12 to 18 inches the image will be pretty close to if not better than visual acuity.The 326 dpi of the iPhone 4 is also better than magazine print which is only 300 dpi. If you are one of the few who hold your iPhone within 5 inches of your face you will probably be able to see pixels. Either way the iPhone 4 will have a display unmatched in the smartphone market.

What do you think about this, I would love to know your opinion.

[The Loop, Gadget Lab, Popular Mechanics via Gizmodo]

Yes we have more white next-generation iPhone casing images that have leaked out and this time they come to us from Powerbook Medic. The site claims they received the casing from one of their parts suppliers.

We first saw evidence of a all white iPhone when images of the faceplate surfaced and then shortly there after the those were followed up by images of what appeared to be a fully assembled all-white iPhone. While a video of a all white iPhone in action would be nice, we suppose we can exercise some patience and wait until June 7th when Steve shows us both – black and white devices…

The source link below seems to be down as of this writing but we have one more image after the break!

[Powerbook Medic]

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• The buzz continues on regarding the design on the soon to be released iPhone. What are your thoughts on the new design?

• If you own a iPad you owe it to yourself to try the latest game from Ngmoco, GodFinger. [iTunes Link - Free] Once you get up and running and are in search of some friends visit this thread right here to find people to add!

• It seems as if a lot of our readers are currently being charged for their iPad 3G. Are you one of them?

• Once the new iPhone is released do you feel that Apple will drop the 16 GB models all together? Make your vote count in this poll thread!

See you in the forums!

UDPATE: Engadget initially updated their story on the iPhone G4 (not iPhone 4G!) to include the information below, then removed the update, their editor-in-chief stating on Twitter that a “major update is coming”. So, we’ll file this under “developing” for now…

ORIGINAL: Those pictures we linked to last night of an iPhone 4G/iPhone HD turn out to be what most of our readers claimed it to be in the comments – just a knock-off.

According to Applesfera, the phone in the pictures never came from Apple or Cupertino at all, but is simply a cheap Chinese clone. One of their readers posted a picture (above) of the same identical phone that they recently purchased in Japan.

So whether you were excited or not so excited, move along as there is nothing to see here.

[Via Macrumors via Applefera]

Could this be the first peek of the 2010 iPhone 4G… the SIM card tray?! If not, could it be for the iTablet? Engadget says:

procured from Foxconn (the rumored Apple tablet manufacturer) and available for $14.05 starting October 23rd for the 4th generation iPhone / iTablet… whatever the mythical host device might ultimately be named.

And here we thought we’d have to wait until next year for rumors like this! Cue the case-maker leaks in 5… 4… 3..

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News

• Dieter’s at Mobile World Congress, and so is Turn by Turn GPS, and so is Flash “Full” but iPhone Safari already supports CSS animation
• iPhone going multi-core, AT&T Going 4G/LTE, Chargers going Universal (should Apple Ditch the Dock?)
• Next Gen iPhone Rumors: Could matte black be the new back? Push Notification waiting on Snow Leopard Server? Or will it multitask?
• iPhone update: 2 tiny little MicroCell (Femtocell) PNGs
• Apple owns 51% of the mobile web and boast 20,000 Apps in 7 months
• Google-palooza: Offline GMail Proof-of-Concept, Edit Google Docs spreadsheets, optimized Google Books and Gmail Tasks, Latitude later but Google (Active)Sync now!
• Amazon Making Kindle App for iPhone?
• Apple Brass Says: iPhone growing, no iPhone Nano, no iPhone Slider, what about re-releasing the iPhone 2G? And Jailbreaking should not have a DMCA exemption
• MobileMe adds Large File Sharing and improves Outlook Sync but what else do you want to see in MobileMe 2.0?
• Mighty Marvel Motion Comics coming to iTunes!

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Credits

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge
• Relaxation Spa Treatment by Dan the Automator via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
• Wataridori 2 by Cornelius via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future
• DC 3000 by Thievery Corporation via Wired 12.11: Sample the Future

With a Schiller-confirmed June product cycle, it’s a bit early for iPhone Next-Gen case leaks, innit? Not that time or likelihood will stop the internet. MacRumors says:

This new iPhone case is said to “shed its glossy appearance for a matte black look” and also introduce a new case-back made of metal. [iPodObserver] seems confident in the photo and reminded readers that they were also responsible for publishing an early back-case photo of the iPhone 3G.

Has Apple ever done matt finish anything? And would Apple really milk the 16GB capacity in a next-gen iPhone? Or would they do 16GB and 32GB next time, the way they did 8 and 16, and 4 and 8 for the previous generations? And will this simply be another iPhone 3G, or will include any (or all) of the guts we’ve been clamoring for in an iPhone HD?

First questions first, though, is this for real?

Internal comparison photos after the break!

iPhone 3G Casing [via iFixit]

Leaked/Rumored iPhone Next Gen Casing

Dieter thinks the screws and slot for the rumble/vibrate motors match. What do you think? The next iPhone or simply the next Chinese iClone knockoff?

We should start a new “Gizmodo iPhone Concept Art” category, because it seems like Jesus Diaz is throwing up one of these a week, each equal parts smart and silly in their own way. This week’s version doesn’t light my design regions on fire, but the idea of built in video iChat, compatible with desktops — even with the Google Maps/CoreLocation chrome tossed in — is very much “me want”.

What do you think? I love the MacBook Air look, but in an iPhone? And is Mobile iChat definitely a must-drool feature?

Gizmodo has posted another concept image for the iPhone 4G, and honestly this one does not look too bad. Perhaps the edges are a bit squared but the Macbook look to it seems to be a good idea. This concept is pretty enticing with features like 32 GB of storage, titanium body, 3.2 megapixel camera, and messaging light. The messaging light alone should be enough for Crackberry Kevin to upgrade from his 3G!

So what do you readers think? Is this the direction you’d like to see Apple take with iPhone? Keep in mind this is just a concept and we here at TiPb did not name it the iPhone 4G. Sound off in the comments!

[Via Gizmodo, thanks to Gabe as well!]