Future 3G capabilities of iPhone

[GSY]

I am very interested in the iPhone but not "crazy" about the EDGE download speed being spoiled on Verizon's fast (but expensive) EVDO data speed.

Not knowing much about the innner workings of handheld devices I was wondering if Apple/Cingular ever equip the iPhone with 3G capabilities, would it be merely a software/firmware upgrade or must we purchase a brand new phone (hardware upgrade). Thank you in advance.

[robhon]

I'm certainly not an expert on this subject but I would expect that the differences are based in the hardware.

I have read that they chose EDGE because G3 is only available in a few areas.

[dblaron]

I was wondering the same thing. So I did a little reseach on my own on this topic. its all in the chip set. So alot of phones already are capable of 3G connections, yet they do not have the software. In one thread I read a guy could write the software for your phone to be 3G compatable. but he could only do one brand of chip set. So with that, they might. I say might, be able to do it with the iphone too. Just a little software upgrade and bam you have 3G network.

[wot_fan]

I really doubt that Apple is including a chipset capable of 3G. I remember reading an interview with an Apple exec about 3G. He said there were 2 reasons why Apple choose not to include it in this version. The first reason he gave was that 3G is only available in limited areas. The second was that the current 3G chipset required too much battery power to operate. Unfortunately, I cannot find the interview so I can't verify my memory .

On the positive side, I have also read that at least one new chipsets is due to be released soon. It is reportedly much more energy efficient. I would bet that it will be included in version 2 of the iPhone.

[mac4tutor]

How much time would there be between the 1st iPhone and the 2nd edition with new & better features.
That's what I would want to know.
Why be in a 2 year contract and find that a new & improved version for less money is avaiable!

I was wondering the same thing. So I did a little reseach on my own on this topic. its all in the chip set. So alot of phones already are capable of 3G connections, yet they do not have the software. In one thread I read a guy could write the software for your phone to be 3G compatable. but he could only do one brand of chip set. So with that, they might. I say might, be able to do it with the iphone too. Just a little software upgrade and bam you have 3G network.

[itsabouttime]

There are rumors that iPhone 2.0 could be released late this year or early '08, but, these are only rumors at this point.

[dblaron]

I really doubt that Apple is including a chipset capable of 3G. I remember reading an interview with an Apple exec about 3G. He said there were 2 reasons why Apple choose not to include it in this version. The first reason he gave was that 3G is only available in limited areas. The second was that the current 3G chipset required too much battery power to operate. Unfortunately, I cannot find the interview so I can't verify my memory .

On the positive side, I have also read that at least one new chipsets is due to be released soon. It is reportedly much more energy efficient. I would bet that it will be included in version 2 of the iPhone.

Ok it was only something I read in another forum. The two guys talking happend to be cell phone programmers. They said that Qualcom chips were the only ones that do this so far. That is where you have to basicly re-write the phone software and open the address to get the chips to do this. all I am realy saying is that we do not even know the processor chip yet. We dont even know the speed and who makes it. We dont even know if the chip is out yet. Put it this way Apple could of pulled a fast one on us all. It would be market research at its finest. They could of just said what they thought we wanted to hear just to get us all to talk about it . to see what they really should put in the phone. all the while reading all of our threads...... Now there is a thought. So I would highly dought it if they were not hiding things like this from us. Would you want all other cell companies to know what was in it before it was going to be released. "6 months early"

[Bootlessjam]

I believe that Apple is planning to make the iPhone 3G in the near future. They said they were gonna wait till 2008 to release the iPhone in Asia. The only way to crack the asian market is to go 3G, so I would expect the iPhone to be 3G in 2008. it's just as well since I live in Australia, so we'll be getting the same Asian model.

I think Apple might have the first iPhone 3G without it being enabled, much like they had Macs with the n WiFi chip onboard but didn't let people enable it until the new airport exteme came out.