UPDATED: Next Gen iPhone to be an Internet Screamer? (802.11n? 3.5G HSPDA+?)

By Rene Ritchie
last updated

UPDATE: Apple Insider points out this could also refer to an AT&T network upgrade to 3.5G HSPDA+ type cell speeds. Or maybe both?

New iPhone hardware rumors are coming our way fast and furiously now, what with new device numbers, OLED screens, and... faster Internet speeds?

That's what Silicone Alley Insider is saying:

our source has heard rumors that the next iPhone will have a significantly faster Internet connection.

What does that mean exactly? Our bet is on those new 802.11n mobile chipsets we heard about a while back. Pretty much everything else in Apple's arsenal is now 802.11n fast, and even given those fancy new Airport Extreme and Time Capsules, faster would be better...

So again, how's that picture of the next generation iPhone shaping up for you?

Rene Ritchie
Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.

23 Comments
  • Snoogins.
  • having 802.11n seems logical in a possible new hardware release. but they didnt include it in the 3g, so who knows?
  • God I hope they really really really work on battery life first this would be a disaster if they don't
  • 802.11n is NOT going to make browsing faster.
    Sheesh.
  • I agree with Scott. It's not going to do much.
  • I agree with AdMm. Snoogins
    .....whatever that means.
  • I knew they would eventually add N on the iPhone. I have a iMac and a N router by linksys. I think this is personally a good reason to save up my coins to get the new iPhone.
  • Well, they DID mention that iPhone 3.0 will allow video streaming in hd quality, and with 802.11n it could happen wirelessly via apple tv or TO that supposed small wifi display that's been rumoured.
    Could also include that rumoured apple tablet/netbook in some way..? Possibly for tethering with Bluetooth over wifi for less bogged tethering speeds.
    Maybe they'll offer the apple netbook/tablet subsidized through AT&T in a combo plan with the iPhone with a small add-on for extra data and to allow tethering..
    Oh god I'm getting carried away..
  • Combined with a CPU and GPU boost to render and throw pixels around, and 802.11n would definitely make internet speeds faster. Also, factor in new WebKit 2D/3D animation via HTML5/CSS...
    Again, pieces, please arrange yourself into nice puzzle. Thanks!
  • I would really like to have an iPhone with 802.11n. I just bought a time capsule one week before the new one came out that allowed both basebands to run simultaneously. Damn.
  • this speed would hopefully allow OTA syncing.
    I would love to just set it up to sync daily at 2am when connected to my home 802.11n wifi network.
  • @Keil,
    That's the only really good reason.
    I am going to bite the bullet even though mine is new too.
    Scott
  • I thought 802.11n was already announced
  • @duodenum,
    That's a dream come true.
  • 802.11n won't make browsing on your iPhone faster than browsing with 802.11g. The advantage of 802.11n will be greater range and more consistent reception.
    Upgrading HSPA to 7.2 or 14.4 Mbps might make browsing a bit faster if the network will support it.
    Upgrading to HSPA+ may also speed up browsing speeds. AT&T hinted at using HSPA+ while other networks like Telstra have already rolled out 21 Mbps HSPA+ in certain areas. I doubt we'll see the iPhone with HSPA+ in 2009 though.
    What I would REALLY like to see is a faster CPU. The REAL reason why browsing on the iPhone is slow is the 412 MHz ARM11 CPU. The Palm Pre is infinitely faster as its 600MHz+ TI OMAP3 Cortex-A8 CPU has 3x the processing power of the CPU in the iPhone.
    A few HTC phones will be released later this year with similar CPUs from Qualcomm so I predict that Apple is also likely to upgrade the iPhone with these next-gen CPUs.
  • Remember the PALM PRE doesnot exist.
  • If I was a cell phone company and I seen a phone that has been out for nearly a year, itnwould be easy for me to put faster CPU's and better RAM in it. I say just wait until iPhone 3rd generation. You'll soon see.
  • Oh Palm Pre does exist alright. You just can't buy it yet. By the time you can buy iPhone 3, you can buy Pre. That's all that matters for that.
    I think faster browsing on iPhone 3 means higher speed HSDPA (iPhone 3G has relatively slow HSDPA as compared to other smart phones available,) 802.11n, and faster processor and/or memory.
  • Note that it's HSDPA (High-speed Downlink Packet Access) and not HSPDA ...
  • Well I have never heard anything about AT&T and 3.5G. I never seen one blog anywhere about it so that's something I have to research about.
  • Oh 3.5g exists on ATT. I get stuff done on my handheld.
  • Oh 3.5g exists on ATT. I get stuff done on my handheld. My Nokia E71 pulls 3.5 almost all the time, and it is FAST.
  • Apple is going to pull an A4 variant used in the iPad into this next gen iPhone. I wrote about the platform play that the iPad/iPhone is becoming here, along with the implications of owning their own chips. Next gen iPhone will be FAST
    http://stevecheney.posterous.com/apple-the-platform-company