Apple's highly-anticipated iPad 3 event is just half an hour away. But that hasn't stopped tipsters from coming forward with some last-minute information regarding today's announcements.
9to5Mac is reporting that it has just received a couple of tips from its always reliable "Mr X" source. It appears that 4G LTE iPads are already populating in Apple's inventory, as are the "mystery" accessories we've been hearing about...
Both AT&T and Verizon have something big up their sleeves that will apparently be revealed soon. Could it be the iPad 3?
On Verizon's Wireless site you're greeted with the following: Something Is Coming. Be among the first to hear the news. Flip the channel over to AT&T's site, and you'll see similar verbiage: Coming Soon! Get ready to see an exciting new addition to our line-up.
If you ask me, that doesn't sound like the next "Motorola XZY Board Extreme Molotov Cocktail Edition 4G" phone...
Right, I'm going to come right out and say this before I go any further: I'm going to get a lot of stick for this, and the rest of the iDB team thinks that I've lost my mind, but I'm going to write this anyway. I don't think the iPad or iPhone is going to get an LTE radio. At least, not yet.
Now I know this flies in the face of what we are being told by just about everyone, including a very recent article by the Wall Street Journal. The general consensus is that Apple will indeed bring an iPad 3 to market during the coming weeks, and that said iPad 3 will be the first Apple device to come packed with an LTE radio for hooking up to super-fast 4G networks.
I, however, think you're all wrong. Here's why...
One of the most controversial rumors regarding the upcoming iPad 3 has been whether or not the tablet will feature 4G technology. While countries like the US and Canada have growing LTE networks, others won't see the tech for at least a year.
Tonight, the Wall Street Journal seemingly puts an end to the speculation. The world-renown newspaper is reporting that it has confirmed that both Verizon and AT&T flavored iPad 3s will include the next-generation wireless technology...
Among the rumors we've heard regarding Apple's next-generation tablet, LTE compatibility has come up a number of times. And last month, Bloomberg seemed pretty confident when it reported that the iPad 3 would feature the 4G technology.
Now a new report from PhoneArena adds some weight to the argument, as the site has just learned that AT&T is about to receive a whole new batch of LTE-capable micro SIM cards. Could these be for next-generation iPads and iPhones?
Apple has received a lot of criticism for leaving LTE out of its two latest iOS devices. After all, Android manufacturers have been implementing the 4G technology in handsets and tablets for over a year now.
But as Tim Cook noted last Summer, LTE chipsets have been too big and too battery-intensive thus far for Apple to justify using them in its devices. And it looks like HTC had to find that out the hard way...
Yesterday, we passed on a report from CNET that claimed that Verizon would soon be enforcing a "hard requirement" that all future smartphones be LTE-compatible. The news made some sense considering the carrier has been leading the LTE movement.
But today, the Mac Observer is reporting that they've heard a different story. While Verizon might eventually start requiring manufacturers to incorporate LTE chips into their products, it doesn't look like it'll be happening anytime soon...
We've heard an assortment of rumors over the last month or so regarding Apple's upcoming tablet release. A majority of them seem to agree that a new iPad will debut sometime between late February and early March of this year.
As far as features go, however, the gossip has been all over the place. 7" screen, 10" screen, Siri, quad-core processor — we've heard it all. And now Bloomberg has entered the mix, claiming that Apple's next tablet will be LTE-capable...
The latest in analyst predictions comes from Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty. According to Huberty, the next-generation iPhone will be slimmer and sport a quad-core Qualcomm chip with 3G and LTE compatibility across all networks.
We've heard plenty of rumors regarding the mythical iPhone 5, and this particular analyst claims that Apple will have its upcoming handset ready for customers in the third quarter of this year.
If there's one thing Apple's mobile products have taken a lot of criticism for recently, it's their lack of LTE support. The company released a new tablet and handset last year — neither of which contained the popular 4G technology.
While nearly every Android partner has implemented LTE into their products, Apple has continued to ignore the tech in favor of battery life and reliability. But they may not have a choice in the matter in future Verizon-bound products...
Both AT&T and the FCC continue to make headlines today, as reports are surfacing that the Federal Communications Commission has just approved the carrier's purchase of 700MHz wireless spectrum from Qualcomm.
You may recall that the FCC recently announced its disapproval of AT&T's T-Mobile buyout, eventually forcing the carrier to pull out of the deal. But it seems like the two organizations are on the same page this time around...
As our very own Sebastien correctly predicted, Sprint has announced that it is discontinuing its unlimited data plan. The only catch is that smartphones, including the iPhone, will still be able to take advantage of an all-you-can-eat data plan on Sprint's network.
Sprint will begin imposing data caps on each customer's next bill cycle, but iPhone users won't be affected by the policy change. This move indicates that Sprint doesn't plan on keeping its unlimited plan around in any form for very long.