Update 1: Reuters reports these claims have been denied by NTT Docomo:
An NTT Docomo Inc (9437.T) spokesperson denied on Thursday that the company had reached a basic agreement with Apple Inc APPL.O on selling its popular iPhone in
NTT DoCoMo’s popular smartphone in the U.S. Apple “iPhone” and tablet device “iPad” by selling the next generation in Japan, which was basic agreement with Apple. Under the agreement DoCoMo, high-speed communication standards next summer first “LTE” The Japanese market that supports the iPad is expected to launch LTE-enabled iPhone by fall.
Currently, no LTE-capable iOS device exists. Anandtech pointed out earlier possible reasons for the delay was due to LTE modem size limitations as existing chips would not fit inside existing iPhones. Smaller next-generation LTE Qualcomm chips aren’t set to hit the market until 2012.
The delay of an LTE-enabled iPhone will be beneficial to consumers. Currently, only Rogers and Bell have LTE networks deployed in Canada in major cities (Telus has LTE plans for 2012). Although speedy, access to these 4G networks are expensive, and also resource-heavy, leading to shorter battery life. Just take a look at any 4G Android phone–fast download speeds, but at the expense of your battery. Until LTE is widely adopted, coverage will stay in urban areas and pricing models will remain high.
The iPhone 4S debuted with slightly faster download speeds, compared to older iPhone models. Are you craving LTE capability for the next iPhone?
