Apple’s seventh or eighth-generation iPhone could be the first to break the mould by supporting LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) connectivity, the Korea Times reports. If accurate, the iPhone 6 or perhaps even the iPhone 5S could run at the kind of speeds currently unheard of across most of the mobile tech world – as high as 150Mbps.
This would of course count the iPhone 5S out of the running for being the affordable iPhone we’ve heard so much about, but remains an exciting prospect nonetheless.
The Korean Times was told by an anonymous source speaking from SK Telecom that the carrier is in the midst of negotiations with Apple to bring LTE-A connectivity to the iPhone. Apple’s arch-rival Samsung has already incorporated LTE-A technology into its Galaxy S4 Advance Smartphone, meaning that one again the Cupertino company is playing catch-up.
“SK Telecom is approaching Apple to put our LTE-A technology on the upcoming iPhone 5S,” said the representative.
“We are in the middle of negotiations.”
The appeal of an LTE-A iPhone 5 or iPhone 6 in Western markets is somewhat debatable, as it is currently only Samsung’s native South Korea that boasts network supporting the 150Mbps data speeds. Chances are the west will of course catch up eventually, but should the iPhone 5S and/or the iPhone 6 launch this fall as expected, chances are this won’t be one of the biggest selling points for the pair in Britain or the US.
