Carriers Caught Testing LTE-Flavored iPhones

All of the information surrounding the iPhone 5 up to this point has suggested that Apple’s next smartphone will not be LTE-capable, even though the platform currently powers Verizon’s 4G network, and will soon drive AT&T’s.

There’s been several reasons for tech pundits and analysts to write the feature off from Apple’s upcoming device, but as Alex reminded us yesterday, we really don’t know anything for sure. On that note, BGR just posted evidence that an iPhone with LTE is currently in testing…

“BGR has obtained evidence of an internal iOS build from one of Apple’s major carrier partners, and buried in the firmware is a property list (.plist file) for LTE. This doesn’t necessarily mean every Apple device that’s about to be released will feature an embedded 4G lTE modem, but it certainly means Apple isn’t sitting on the sidelines as 4G LTE networks continue to roll out around the world.”

The article was published by BGR-founder Jonathan Geller, who has a fairly accurate history of reporting information regarding iOS. And as he points out, this doesn’t confirm that the upcoming iPhone 5 will support LTE, but it does say that a 4G-capable iPhone is in testing.

It’s important to remember that Apple said themselves back in April that LTE chipsets weren’t mature enough for implementation yet. It’s likely that this internal iOS build is off of a lab rat-device, as Apple tries to perfect the technology for future products.

So now that the disclaimer is out of the way, 4G support would be a killer feature in this year’s iPhone. Especially since it’s been so heavily dismissed. I don’t know about you folks, but the yet-to-be announced Apple event this Fall just got a lot more interesting.

Will 4G support change your mind about buying the iPhone 5?