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 | ||||
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
40 Comments
View All Comments
AuDioFreaK39 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Such a huge disappointment. The only noteworthy hardware upgrade is official support for 3G HSPA+ data speeds; as if the iPhone 4 couldn't already support them.ltcommanderdata - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
I believe the different is the iPhone 4 used HSDPA 7.2 while the iPhone 4S doubles things to HSDPA 14.4. Realistically though, I think top end speeds are fast enough. The bigger issue now is consistent coverage to always maintain those speeds and data caps that discourage their use.michael2k - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
The iPad2 wipes the floor, with it's A5, over the Tegra2 and Exynos SoC, and now it's in the iPhone 4S... why wouldn't you be excited about that?ImSpartacus - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Because other phones and tablets will get superior SoCs in a few months.inplainview - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
And in a few months they will be outdated. Are you 12? Circle of life and all that. Seems like you need something to whine about.rangerdavid - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
inplainview: Just snorted my soda. If voting were enabled for comments, you would win.AuDioFreaK39: All of these hardware upgrades make a great phone better. I know it's easy to be distracted by shiny objects, but also remember that the iOS is also getting an upgrade, and I look forward to playing with the voice control / dictation features. If they open up those APIs, that would be even better - I hope to see a whole new generation of voice-enabled apps beyond what Google has cooked up thus far.
FATCamaro - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
I'm up for renewal and will be picking up two. Just what I need. Don't need LTE although 4" would be nice.tayb - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
I was waiting to get a new phone because I wanted to see what Apple had to offer with the iphone 5. I'm currently rocking a Droid X. I was expecting multiple versions, bigger screen options, faster hardware, LTE, etc. This is just pathetic. There are dozens of superior options available right now.The OS looks awesome though. It can't compensate for the lack of a new/better hardware.
Major fail on Apple.
inplainview - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Hmmmm.... Let's see....iPhone 3 ---> iPhone 3Gs (same body style, different insides)
iPhone 4 ---> iPhone 4G2 (same body style, radically different insides)
You mean, you really couldn't figure this out? Was it that hard really? Stick with your Droid. Critical thinking not required.
tayb - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Let's see.iPhone -> iPhone 3G
iPhone 3G -> iPhone 3GS
iPhone 3GS -> iPhone 4
Pardon my lack of critical thinking but I see four products, three upgrades, and only one of which was an "iterative" upgrade as opposed to a major upgrade. That one iterative upgrade was sandwiched in between two major upgrades. Hardly evidence at all that a precedent of iterative upgrades has been set.
Alas, I'll leave the critical thinking to you as your conclusions are obviously vastly superior. After all, you saw this coming MILES away!