During comments last week at the Beet.TV executive summit in Washington, the Wall Street Journal’s Walter S. Mossberg, one of a handful of journalists to get pre-release Apple iPhones for review purposes before their public release last June, stated that Apple’s next-gen 3G iPhone is coming in 60 days. Furthermore, Mossberg reminds everyone that, “3G is still very slow in the U.S. and actually quite capacity-limited” and it may require action on the part of the federal government in order to make transformative speed/capacity gains in wireless broadband.
Watch the video (Mossberg’s iPhone comment begins at 6:53):
Source Beet.TV
a lot of people are thinking 3G is the holly grail, they will be disappointed, its coverage is worse than edge and rarely is the data rate that much better, plus it will drain the battery more. Im keeping hold of 1st gen for now. o2 3g users in the uk usually get a worse rate than the edge users because only the big business customers actually get higher data rates.
Only in the USA. every where else 3g is not only widely available but they are already installing 4g services. When it comes to cell phone tech the USA is generally 3 steps behind europe, and 4 steps behind japan. Releasing a 3G iPhone will open up about 50 million more potential buyers in europe alone.
I personally am waiting for the 3g service. as edge in my area sucks, dial up with a commodore 64 works better.
@bob,
It depends on which “3G” technology is incorporated. 3G will indeed spark sales of the iPhone in countries outside of the US, especially in Europe and Asia, where it’s more widespread.
As Uncle Walt alluded to in the video, 3G coverage in the US is quite pathetic compared to the rest of the world (Germany is the low man on the European broadband totem pole, but 3G coverage here is still vastly superior to that in the US), so what you write is absolutely correct.
I am in UK, europe, and 3G coverage sucks whatever anyone else says on the internet.
This 2.5G/3G stuff is irritating me.
Its about the frickin ability of the cell phone companies to recieve and transmit signals.
In some areas no G at all will help, in others its fine.
The logic is easy – make sure that the areas most dense with customers get the most signal masts, and slowly spend the cash to cover the sparse areas. Slowly.
That is NOT going to change. If you live in Bumf**k Idaho, dont worry about 3G or any kind of ‘G’.
As for surfing on the phone signal – I dont care what you’ve got, its NOT going to be like your connection at home.
Remember that most, if not ALL of the other phones are crap and no-one actually surfed the web until the iPhone.
I just dont get it – the best phone imaginable, the iPhone, and still the whining continues.
Bunch of entitled little wankers, IMHO.
As for the Europeans, inc. the UK, they come on here and post like they have some special 3G service thats so much better in Europe.
Actually, NO they dont.
They also, have not had a real computer phone before, because the iPhone is the only phone that does what it does.
Dont believe me? Go and buy a frickin N95 and see how CRAP it is. You wont be doing any surfin’ baby.
Enough with the ‘3G’ bs – I imagine I am not the only one who thinks this is another media crapfest – all yap and no truth.
I tend to believe Walt on this one. It would also make sense for Apple to release a new iPhone PRIOR to WWDC so they can focus on future Mac developments and not get sidetracked with iPhone news.
Apple might surprise everyone and release a 4G phone instead of 3G. There have been rumors of low-power 4G (and 3G) chipsets being released soon, if they’re not available already.
Is 4G backward compatible with 3G?
For anyone who wants to compare the US to “other” countries, you might want to consider the size and population density. In the US, you expect to get adequate service in most places, and it has to be the same, so the initial investment by phone companies is greater.
I don’t really believe 3G is going to be that great. It may be better, and it will continue to be rolled out, but with their eyes set on 4g 700 MHz band, I think we will finally get to the Holy Grail of bandwidth. It still won’t be a mobile T1, and it will be spotty, too, but it should be very adequate for the next decade.
I just hope we don’t have to wait too long beyond 2010-2011 to start having this experience.
Yes Bob, thing is that someone is always on the internet.
El Grugo
Great to hear that there’s still people who enjoys their 14.4k modems.
“Yes Bob, thing is that someone is always on the internet.”
whatever, not whenever
@ El Gruga
“As for the Europeans, inc. the UK, they come on here and post like they have some special 3G service thats so much better in Europe. Actually, NO they dont.”
Actually – YES we do! It’s far more available and has been for a long time. And as for surfing on an N95, I agree, I wouldn’t compare that with the experience you’d get on an iPhone, but you can hook up your MacBook to the phone and use it as a 3G modem. I can tell you from experience, it’s fast. Some companies are offering 7 mps connections, which is comparable to home connections (and sometimes even better).
So enough of the Xenophobic ill-informed opinion, please. People in the UK (and anywhere else) are entitled to “come on here and post”. You see, that’s the great thing about the WORLD WIDE web – it’s accessible outside the States too.
I think you are confusing peoples’ enthusiasm and hopes for improvements as criticisms. What’s wrong with wanting better functionality? Luddite!
Strictly for illustrative purposes only; no flame-bait whatsoever:
UK approx 260,000 km sq.
Texas, 695,000
As much as I can’t stand telcos, I will forgo chalk and cheese comparisons and give them a break on sheer size alone. Covering the entire country, or even just major population centers, is an ENORMOUS task.
That said, I do believe Apple will release the 3g as an option, especially in those markets where it makes sense.
For the US, I’d like to see the efforts put into greater wifi accessibility/coverage instead.
.02
err , except labour have been in power since 1997.. don’t blame the tories for tony’s mess ups
I’ve had a USB thing to stick in my MBP for more than a ear.
It works fine in the UK, but I can count the number of times I’ve been in a 3G zones on the fingers of one hand.
Nice to have, but don’t imagine it’s everywhere that’s all.
Of course it’s coming in June. Why would it come out before the software that it will be best suited for? Why would Apple want to hold two launch events so close together?
The most poignant comment here is that 3G will open up the iPhone to more countries and spread adoption where 3G is common.
Nothing’s changed regarding my own situation. Despite taking second place to no one when it comes to Apple evangelism, I will NOT buy an iPhone. I travel a lot and have mobile numbers in six different countries. I will not tolerate a phone that cannot take different SIM cards. Roaming is an idiotic “solution” and I don’t like the idea of hacking, being that it is not authorized and therefore at risk of being locked out by Apple at any time.
Apple is usually god-like brilliance. But the decision to lock a user into one carrier and demand a share of the revenue is stunningly unreasonable and greedy. Shame on Apple and why the hell aren’t more people protesting it?
It’s not going to be a 3G phone. It will have that dual band EDGE thing where it can essentially double the rate that it gets off of EDGE right now. It might have a GPS though.
They will do this because AT&T;is going to skip 3G and just start rolling out over the next year or two. And we won’t see that in the iPhone till next year.
@grh
who give a fat rats ass. go buy a moto piece of shit and carry your whining ass
It’s about usability. If 3G won’t really make things better in real world behavior– unless Apple knows something about AT&T;’s possible future network changes– it could very well stay 2.5G.
One way or another, I’ll be getting one this Fall.
No 3g coverage where I live, unless the second gen phone has a bunch of cool new features, i’m sticking with mine
@grh
“…why the hell aren’t more people protesting it?”
I’m not protesting because I own Apple stock. A new revenue stream is a good thing!
excellent video. the whole thing was interesting. I wonder what the other people in the room were thinking?
@bob,
I dated a holly once and never thought her the Grail, much less the 3G.
Care to elaborate?
3G IS CRAP. SPOTTY COVERAGE, SUCKS THE LIFE OUT OF BATTERIES, AND IT REALLY ISNT THAT FAST!! WiMaxx will save us.