Firmware upgrade to awaken 3G in iPhone?

thedwp · 07-06-2007, 02:13 PM

Could it be?

In his weekly column, I, Cringely, Robert Cringely suspects that Apple has already built 3G technology into today's shipping iPhone. It is very likely that a firmware upgrade will awaken the 3G capabilities within all of today's iPhones.
AT&T's 3G uses a technology called HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access), which is a combination of GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) and EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution). It provides average mobile data download connections between 400 kilobits per second (kbps) and 700 kbps. Not as fast as any of us would like, of course, but the new service will be 3-5 times faster than the current EDGE network alone, making your iPhone suddenly 3-5 times faster than it was before.
Jobs expects sales of the iPhone to EXPLODE this Holiday shopping season. Introducing an entirely new phone with 3G capabilities might not be the solution. A simple firmware upgrade would unlock the feature of the already proven successful phone, leaving no hesitation in the buyers' minds.

http://www.looprumors.com/article.ph...one,3284025441

Crazieukfan · 07-06-2007, 02:18 PM

does that mean the phones we have right now are capable of having 3G just they havent turned it on int the phones?

ccr78 · 07-06-2007, 02:20 PM

The iPhone doesn't have a 3g chip.

thedwp · 07-06-2007, 02:20 PM

Originally Posted by Crazieukfan

does that mean the phones we have right now are capable of having 3G just they havent turned it on int the phones?

That's what this guy thinks. I hope so.

Heckler · 07-06-2007, 02:23 PM

But didn't Steve Jobs explicitely state that 3G hardware/chips were not installed in the iPhone due to size and battery/power issues? If what Steve stated was actually true, than there is nothing to wake up with software.

damstr · 07-06-2007, 02:24 PM

If there was something official from Apple or AT&T I would get an iPhone the first chance I had. Hopefully something will happen before then concerning 3G.I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

applefreak · 07-06-2007, 02:24 PM

This wouldn't surprise me and has been speculated on before, simply because it didn't make much sense to leave 3G out. 3G is backwards compatible and would have allowed the phone to be compatible with cingular's Edge as well as ATT's 3G. But many folks have already disemboweled the iphone and if there were a 3G chip somebody would have found it already.

Still, it was pretty stupid to leave 3G out. I would have paid another $100 for that feature.

kidapollo · 07-06-2007, 03:14 PM

Engadget had a post this morning titled "Debunk: No Viginia, there won't be a 3G iPhone," which stated that Apple hadn't sought FCC approval for 3G in the iPhone and that the iPhone didn't have the guts to operate 3G.

Funny thing ... they've removed the post from their site. You can still search for it in Google News, but following the link to it brings up a blank page. Strange. I wonder why they pulled it?

applefreak · 07-06-2007, 03:23 PM

Weird...they'd only do that if they didn't want to be caught with their pants down.

jbaraga · 07-06-2007, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by kidapollo

Engadget had a post this morning titled "Debunk: No Viginia, there won't be a 3G iPhone," which stated that Apple hadn't sought FCC approval for 3G in the iPhone and that the iPhone didn't have the guts to operate 3G.

If that's the case, then there's no way our phones have a 3G chip. People hack phones all the time. If Apple hasn't gotten govt. approval for a 3G iPhone, but embedded 3G technology into the devices anyway, the government would chew them up & spit them out as soon as people figured out how to hack the device and turn on 3G functionality.