LTE

Apple said to be reviewing components for upcoming LTE iPhone

AppleInsider is reporting today that it has obtained a research note from Barclays, an investment firm, that contains some interesting information regarding Apple's next iPhone.

The note states that Apple is moving along with development of its next iPhone, and is now in the process of reviewing components submitted by suppliers for use in the new handset...

Cellular data plans not cutting it for content-hungry 4G LTE iPad users

That entry-level data plan you signed up for to go along your brand spanking new iPad? It's obsolete, thanks to the device's 4G LTE networking that allows for speeds easily exceeding your home broadband connection. As a result, folks planning on enjoying 4G speeds on the go may likely blow past through their monthly allowance in a couple days. Your mileage may wary, of course, depending on your mobile usage habits.

Here in the U.S., entry-level data plans for iPad begin at $15 or $30 a month, depending on your carrier. AT&T's entry-level 250MB plan will set you back $14.99 a month, with 2GB/5GB plans costing $30/$50 a month. Rival Verizon Wireless is offering 2GB/5GB/10GB tiers priced at $30/$50/$80 a month.

But even five gigabytes a month is conceivable insufficient when you stream high-definition movies and television shows to your device over 4G LTE networks, upload big photos to your social networks or edit and upload full HD movies to YouTube, etc. The Wall Street Journal has the full story (subscription required)...

The new iPad review

The new iPad. Two generations from the somewhat enigmatic, yet overwhelmingly successful debut, Apple’s latest tablet is firing on all cylinders.

No longer is there a question as to whether such a device has a place in people’s day to day lives, it’s now a question of how many such devices are necessary to have for one household.

Indeed, the iPad is about as mainstream as mainstream gets, only a few years removed from many pundits, including myself, questioning its viability.

The truth is that maybe only a handful of people knew how insanely successful Apple’s tablet would be, but now everyone but the most blinded of opposers is a believer. Even if you don’t own an Apple device, you’re compelled to give credit where credit is due...

Leaked screenshot suggests Verizon shared data plans are coming soon

A new plan from Verizon that will allow its customers to share a data plan between their iPhone and iPad has been rumored to launch for quite awhile. In May of 2011, Verizon’s CFO Fran Shammo hinted towards it rolling out, but offered no time frame.

In January, we saw a picture of Verizon's back-end that hinted to the plan launching soon. Today, a screenshot of the family data usage calculator that will be used when first signing up for the plan has leaked, showing that the plan may be launching soon...

Sprint bankruptcy a legitimate risk as Apple jumps on the LTE bandwagon

Sprint's stock fell 4% yesterday as investors reacted to a report that the risk of the carrier going bankrupt was increasing. Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett downgraded Sprint shares from "market-perform" to "underperform" based on the news.

While the company, which happens to be the third largest wireless provider in the US, has had a long string of poor quarters over the past few years, analysts had high hopes for the carrier after it finally became an iPhone partner late last fall...

How to use the new iPad’s hotspot tethering

One of the best things about choosing a Verizon flavored iPad over its AT&T counterpart is the fact that Verizon makes tethering your data free.

Right out of the box you can start tethering your iPad's fast LTE connection to another iPad, iPhone, Mac, PC, whatever.

Inside we'll take a look at how to setup the personal hotspot feature on your new iPad, along with a little test drive...

European carriers not impressed with the iPad’s 4G branding

Apple may be an American company, but at times it forgets that it also deals in markets that are outside the United States. Australia, the whole of Europe and plenty of other countries and continents are represented in Apple's list of release territories for new devices, and the new iPad was no different.

Apple is now very much branding its new iPad as a 4G device, something which makes plenty of sense in the United States thanks to LTE being available on both AT&T and Verizon. The problem is, 4G isn't exactly prevalent elsewhere, and branding the device as 4G has apparently upset carriers in both Australia and Europe, leaving Apple with something of a problem.

Just how does a 3G carrier explain that a 4G iPad isn't quite 4G...

New iPad still doesn’t allow FaceTime calls over cellular connection

Even though it's been around for a couple of years now, FaceTime has really struggled to gain massive user adoption. Mac and iOS owners just aren't using it as much as you think they would for a free, no-hassle video-calling service.

One of the main reasons for its stumbles is the fact that iOS devices have not been able to make FaceTime calls outside of Wi-Fi networks (unless you're jailbroken obviously). And it doesn't look like that's going to change with the new iPad...

Did Verizon’s CTO just confirm LTE for the next iPhone?

The theory that Apple's next handset is going to feature an LTE radio has been tossed about for several months now. In fact, a lot of folks expected the wireless technology to make its way into last year's iPhone. But obviously that never materialized.

This year, however, it's almost a given that Apple's new smartphone will ship with LTE compatibility. After all, it's new tablet did. But just in case you had any doubts, just read these recent comments made by Verizon Wireless CTO David Small...

Shocker: next iPhone expected to launch later this year with LTE

BGR passes along a report from DigiTimes this morning which claims that Apple is planning to launch a new iPhone later this year equipped with LTE technology. You don't say?

Well, considering that Apple has released a new iPhone every year for the past 5 years, it's safe to assume that we'll see another one in 2012. And given the fact that the company's latest tablet contains LTE, it's not hard to fathom that its next handset will too...

AT&T 4G LTE coming to 12 more cities

AT&T is still lagging behind Verizon when it comes to 4G LTE coverage – the real 4G – but it's coming to 12 more markets:

AT&T plans to roll out 4G LTE soon in Naples, Fla.; Bloomington, Lafayette and Muncie, Ind.; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La.; St. Louis, Mo; Akron, Canton and Cleveland, Ohio; Bryan-College Station, Texas; and Staten Island in New York City.

These launches are scheduled for April, May and into the early summer.

Neither AT&T nor Verizon supporting 4G iPad hotspot yet [Updated]

Among the slew of new features Apple announced in its latest iPad yesterday was the personal hotspot. Just like with the iPhone, you'll be able to use the new tablet to share an internet connection with up to 5 devices.

This becomes even more appealing when you consider that the new slate is capable of 4G speeds — which is up to 10 times faster than 3G. But don't get too excited. It appears that there is confusion among the carriers...