“Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. will sell a version of the coming iPad that runs on their newest fourth-generation wireless networks, according to people familiar with the matter, as the battle to cash in on big investments in mobile broadband heats up,” Spencer E. Ante and Jessica E. Vascellaro report for The Wall Street Journal.
“Apple Inc. appears to be planning to announce the latest version of its tablet computer in the first week of March, according to another person briefed on the matter,” Ante and Vascellaro report. “Whether other carriers will also sell the device couldn’t be learned. Sprint Nextel Corp., T-Mobile USA and Apple declined to comment.”
“AT&T and Verizon Wireless are the only two U.S. carriers that currently sell the iPad, and are also the only two that offer the fast, next-generation wireless technology known as LTE… Verizon Wireless, the country’s biggest wireless carrier by subscribers, has invested heavily in its LTE network, which now covers more than 200 million people. AT&T, Verizon Wireless’s biggest competitor, is playing catch-up. Its LTE network covered 74 million people at the end of last year. Chief Executive Randall Stephenson says the network will cover 80% of the U.S. population in 2013.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Take it to the bank.
Actually, it appears that Verizon and AT&T also declined to comment. When it comes to Apple products? All of the smart carriers are doing it.
Good. Release it so I can buy it already!
LTE doesn’t impress me, because 99% of the time I’m using wifi with my iPad 1.
But the retina display? Yeah, that’s what I’m talkin’ about!
LTE is pointless with data caps.
1
LTE has definitely been over-hyped.
Yes, you hit your data cap in less time
Sounds like the same informant who told MDN that a smaller iPad is coming
As I commented in WSJ:
Governing bodies need to clamp down on this form of blatant techno-fraud. 4G means nothing. Although there are IEEE standards, if a mobile provider can meet the minimum speed requirements, then they can state exorbitant, completely unobtainable, “maximum” speeds. Much like a car manufacturer’s fuel MPG/kpl rating.
But wait there’s more… The use of the term “4G” in the US has nothing to do with 4G in Europe or IEEE. The USA is using it more as a vague “4th Generation”, completely independent of any speed standards.
This can all be easily solved by making it mandatory to publicly post independently tested data rates per region such as Cook County, IL, US, Statistical Mean = 20Mb/s. This data can be compiled within a few days with existing statistics.
Alas, big business has the big money that fuels our governments, and we’ll never see such truth in advertising laws passed.
In short: Ignore anything that has 4G on it, and wait for real numbers. I would be more prone to buying a tablet or phone based on its color than anything like “4G’.
Say hallelujah!
I hate to think of the crush of humanity and laying-in-wait iPad 1 owners like myself crowding Apple Stores or online for a new 4G Retina Display iPad. We ain’t seen nuttin’ yet in terms of sales. The new iPad in its third revision will be the refined concept of mobile entertainment and productive computer. Anything from here will be gravy.
My ISP here in Sweden offers 4G but as long as they cannot even make 3G work in the middle of the city I wll not pay more for the latest buzzword.
I will buy the iPad 3 for its screen, not for a hypothetical network speed.
I’ll be buying one as my first iPad. Having just inherited a small amount of money I can finally go and pay cash for one. Yowza!
NEVER BUY A 3 OR 4G IPAD.
Me and my wife use a 4G MIFI from Verizon. It gets up to 10-mbps and it is portable and lasts for hours without plugging in. It’s a better value because you can use your 5 gigs a month with up to 5 devices, for $50 a month.
Now when we check into hotels with ripoff wifi charges, we don’t have to worry, as both our ipads have wifi access : )