Apple iPhone 4S includes HSPA+ 14.4, GSM/CDMA Dual Mode, Diversity
by Brian Klug on October 4, 2011 2:17 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- Mobile
- iPhone
- iPhone 4S
Apple got up on stage today and announced the iPhone 4S, and alongside it confirmed that the smartphone will have a reworked cellular architecture complete with dual-mode HSPA+ and CDMA2000 compatibility, making it a world-phone device.
The iPhone 4S supports HSDPA 14.4 and HSUPA 5.76 for GSM/UMTS-based carriers like AT&T, alongside CDMA2000 1x/EVDO Rev.A for 3GPP2 based carriers like Verizon. The iPhone 4S also appears to have an antenna band structure which mirrors that of the CDMA iPhone 4, and likewise includes what appears to be a combination of Rx diversity and the ability to switch between antennas for transmit. This is virtually identical to what we talked about in the CDMA iPhone 4 review which mitigates the infamous iPhone 4 GSM deathgrip.
Apple hasn't confirmed things yet, but Qualcomm's MDM6600 appears to be the baseband inside the iPhone 4S, given its presence in the CDMA iPhone 4 and exactly matching specifications. More on this as it becomes available.
| iPhone 4S - Network Support | |||||
| GSM/EDGE Support | 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz | ||||
| UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA Support | 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz | ||||
| CDMA2000 1x/EVDO Support | 800 / 1900 MHz | ||||
| HSDPA/HSUPA Speeds (HSPA+) | 14.4 Mbps / 5.76 Mbps | ||||
| Baseband Hardware | Qualcomm MDM6600 | ||||
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Brian Klug - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Absolutely, actually today most likely, no joke. :)-Brian
bhazard541 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
It's a nice upgrade, but quite a letdown. If a 4G iPhone 5 comes out early next year, it will be an even bigger slap in the face.I admit the dual core processor and camera is a nice upgrade, but it is still missing so much compared to the competition.
No LTE for Verizon while you are locked in for the next 2 years? 3.5 inch screen when 4.5 720p is about to debut? No SD card as usual. Still no Flash?
If the new HTC or Samsung android phones come in at $199 with 16gb internal and 16gb sd, they would be a much better value compared to this. 4S is a nice phone no doubt, but it feels like it will be dated very soon.
steven75 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Did you really just bring up Flash in October 2011? Even Adobe has given up that battle.Managing 2 storage volumes is a value?
OCedHrt - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Of course. You can wipe your phone and keep everything on the external storage. There's nothing to manage really, apps take care of whether they write to the external or internal storage.solipsism - Saturday, October 8, 2011 - link
SD NAND is very slow compared to the NAND in the iPhone. I certainly don't want the downside of a 32GB micro-SD card at Class-2 speeds.rangerdavid - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
I keep reading this "bigger is better" stuff about screen size. I just don't get it. For me, I wish there was a smaller version of the iPhone. My current cellphone is tiny, lasts for days on a battery charge, and works great. All these smartphones are mammoths by comparison.Remember how much pocket space that Razr used? Not much. My old LG is even smaller. Different strokes for different folks. I think the iPhone is pretty good.
mooncancook - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Razr? yes, small is good back in the days when a cell phone is nothing but just a phone to make a call.seamonkey79 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
If Apple wins their suits against HTC and Samsung, Verizon will probably stop their already slow 4G rollout, and at that point it won't matter that the iPhone X doesn't have 4G in it, because Apple will have once again slowed the drive of technology simply because they can't keep up the pace.ryguy206 - Friday, October 7, 2011 - link
have fun with LTE and the super short battery lifeCharonPDX - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
So they say that it will be available on Sprint on Oct 14, but they don't go into any other detail, at all.Still possible for a surprise "Sprint-only iPhone 5"?
Either way, if Sprint continues to offer truly-unlimited data, I'm likely to switch my wife and I over to Sprint on this. Also, VERY interestingly, the original iPhone 4 will be available on Sprint, too. For $100, we'll see if my wife feels like adding Siri... (aka: I'll be getting a 4S, she'll get either a 4 or 4S. We're both on a 3G right now - both with cracked screens.)