Carriers testing LTE iPhones: report

Dylan Bushell-Embling
16 Aug 2011
00:00

A week away from the expected official announcement of Apple's next iPhone, speculation about the details of the device is reaching fever-pitch.

One issue that has long been debated is whether the device, informally dubbed the iPhone 5, will support LTE networks.

While the answer likely won't be known until the phone is unveiled, Boy Genius Report has revealed that Apple's carrier partners are now testing iPhones with LTE capability.

The tech blog has seen an iOS test build which has a property list file for LTE hidden in the firmware.

France Telecom's Orange has meanwhile fueled speculation that Apple's new iPhone will indeed be called the iPhone 5.

The Next Web reports that Orange referenced the device using the iPhone 5 name in a job posting for an analyst intern.

While Orange may have been using the anecdotal name for the smartphone, the iPhone 5 reference has since been scrubbed from the listing, adding credence to suggestions that the name was posted in error against Apple's embargo on discussing the phone.

Another point of contention among rumor-mongers is whether the device will launch in September or October. Launch dates named have included October 1 and October 7.

There have been rumors that had Apple pushed back the date from a planned September launch, and purported leaks from the supply chain could lead credence to these claims.

Industry sources toldDigiTimes that Apple has cut its iPhone 5 volume orders for the third quarter by up to 2 million units, but raised its orders for the fourth quarter from 14 million to 20 million units.

The iPhone 5 will account for up to 26 million of the 56 million iPhone units Apple plans to order in the second half of the year, the sources claimed.

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