Nikkei Business reports [Google translation] that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has reached an agreement with Apple that will see an LTE-enabled version of the iPad launch next summer, with an LTE iPhone to follow in the fall. The agreement is said to have been hammered out in discussions that saw NTT DoCoMo senior executives travel to Cupertino earlier this month to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The two companies reportedly reached a basic agreement on bringing the next-generation iPad and iPhone to the carrier, with more specific negotiations now focusing on details such as guaranteed sales volumes. Earlier this month it was reported that Apple and NTT DoCoMo were in discussions about the iPhone but that DoCoMo was hesitant to agree to Apple's demands on unit volume and its refusal to allow the carrier to add its own applications to the device.
Apple has yet to add LTE technology, which will enable faster data speeds, to its mobile devices over battery life concerns and a simple lack of chips appropriate for Apple's needs. But with carriers such as Verizon reaching a significant buildout of LTE and other major carriers also in the early stages of rolling out the faster network technology to their customers, Apple may be looking to take advantage of forthcoming LTE chips from Qualcomm to begin supporting the technology in 2012.
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025:
Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost.
The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month.
In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April.
Priority Notifications
If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update.
Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far.
visionOS-Like Design
In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19.
According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas.
iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update.
With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4.
For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3, and Apple's own Advanced Audio Codec...
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.
Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that Apple is planning "one of the most dramatic software overhauls in the company's history" – an update that aims to bring iOS, iPadOS, and macOS into closer visual alignment. The redesign is said to be "loosely based" on visionOS, the software behind Apple's Vision Pro headset, and will reportedly update the look of icons, menus, apps, windows, and...
Did anyone really expect Apple not to release an LTE capable phone? Their MO is pretty consistent: adopt the latest and greatest when it doesnt compromise the experience. Sometimes that means Apple products are well ahead of the curve (e.g. FireWire, Thunderbolt, USB) sometimes it means theyre behind the curve (e.g. 3G, GPS, LTE) but they rarely miss the sweet spot of being a first class performer when the average consumer is ready.
LTE is great and all, but I don't totally get how stuck up people are on it. No matter what software tricks apple can do, 3G will probably always trump LTE battery wise. Until you can get an LTE phone to last all day whats the point when 3G does pretty darn good by itself?
I am talking more towards the att people here as Verizons network - while more extensive in more rural areas especially - isn't as fast as att, but do webpages generally load slow for all you guys/girls? I generally wait about one second for a mobile formatted web page to load, maybe 2 for a full version of some site. Id take that plus a couple/few hours longer on the battery? As for file downloads (like iTunes) I am unlikely to do that on LTE anyway, because by time I am forced to switch I am sure I will loose my grandfathered unlimited plan. I am not about to download a full album of songs and eat 150-200mb of a 2gb plan. ymmv of course.
On a completely different note, no one mentioned the other piece of the rumor regarding DoCoMo hung up on wanting to install their own cr@pware on the iPhone. That never flew on the mac (namely bc apple didn't have any third party companies involved with the mac), hasn't so far on the iPhone, and I hope never does. Telecoms can hardly manage their core business. Please stay out of the bloatware business. We see how well that worked on every single phone prior to the iPhone.
----------
4G LTE iPhone 5 on Verizon, June 2012.
I'm guessing more like October. Dollars to doughnuts thats the new upgrade cycle, Oct to Oct.
LTE support would be a nice addition but, unfortunately, LTE is still very rare in Europe so it will be more of a feature for the Americans and Asians.
Oh, and I would be - well, not pissed, but - dissapointed with Apple if they release a new iPad in Q2 2012, and than to release a newer iPad in Q3 or Q4 of 2012.
--------- I also expect from Apple to announce a huge upgrade over the iPhone 4S for the sixth generation iPhone in 2012. Apple is starting to lag behind when you look at the specs.
I'd just love to see a Super AMOLED Plus display in the next generation iPhone. First I was against it, but the "Plus"-variant is actually quite good. Great viewing angle, great battery life, great colours and a huge contrast. Although unlikely, I really hope they are going to use Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus (2?) displays in 2012 for the next-generation iPhone.
AT&T is really not as bad as people on this site make it out to be.
Yes... they are actually. They've been #1 worst carrier for years now, their tech support is worse than third rate, they nickel and time everyone, they drop calls, have horrible 3G coverage, have a very unstable network, are trying to lie by putting a 4G symbol on their iPhone 4S in place of a 3G symbol. Need I go on?
Did anyone really expect Apple not to release an LTE capable phone? Their MO is pretty consistent: adopt the latest and greatest when it doesnt compromise the experience. Sometimes that means Apple products are well ahead of the curve (e.g. FireWire, Thunderbolt, USB) sometimes it means theyre behind the curve (e.g. 3G, GPS, LTE) but they rarely miss the sweet spot of being a first class performer when the average consumer is ready.
Nikkei Business reports [Google translation] that Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo has reached an agreement with Apple that will see an LTE-enabled version of the iPad launch next summer, with an LTE iPhone to follow in the fall. The agreement is said to have been hammered out in discussions that saw NTT DoCoMo senior executives travel to Cupertino earlier this month to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
