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Special Report: Apple's secret iPhone WiMax plans?Submitted by Andy Space on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 15:27.
Enter InterDigital. In March, that company revealed it has signed-up Apple (and RIM) as a licensee for its 3G technologies. “As to our market share for 3G, while we did not achieve the 50% target, we did add some very high-quality licensees including Apple, Giant, and RIM...,” the company explained. This news generated sparks of speculation that InterDigital’s SlimChip architecture might be deployed in products from Apple. InterDigital is currently suing Nokia on grounds that company contravenes the former’s held patents on 3G technologies. Apple’s agreement to license these forms some kind of evidence of 3G inclusion in the iPhone - but we think Apple may plan a far bigger step. We suspect - and we have to say this is only speculation on our part - that Apple may plan to move from behind the cutting edge of mobile technologies (by not including 3G support in the first place) right to the forefront of what’s possible. And in order to achieve that, we think there’s a chance Apple may introduce support for the little-known 802.21 wireless standard. 802.21 is soon to be an official standard that converges various types of fixed and mobile technologies: in the case of an 802.21 handset, deployment of the standard could theoretically allow the device to seamlessly switch between various connectivity options, including Wi-FI, 3G and (drum roll please), WiMax. Now, as Computerworld recently noted, “as is normally the case with new standards, this standard will need a good deal of marketing to really get rolling and it also will need to get the best of competing convergence efforts.” Apple’s success in bringing new technologies to market was made most clear when it single-handedly popularised WiFi technology (AirPort) when it introduced the iBook in 1999. WiFi’s fairly popular nowadays. InterDigital’s move to join the WiFi Alliance this year, followed by its move to license its 3G modem technology to a shadowy (unnamed) Asian fabless semiconductor company also passed under the radar. Intel’s WiMax technology has been a promise on a whisper for some time now. Implementation of the technology has faced some resistance, not least from mobile phone networks, scared to cede their control of wireless networks. While that resistance is common in developed telephony markets, it’s less visible in some emerging markets. Take Russia, for example. December 2007 saw local mobile telco Comstar and Intel announce their intention to build a nationwide WiMax network to launch in Moscow this year (cost, $20/month). Comstar (under its Stream brand) is already Moscow's leading broadband provider. Why does a WiMax network make sense for Russia? The secret’s in the existing infrastructure. Russia has 147.3 million mobile subscriptions but just 40.1 million standard telephones. The majority of the existing Russian mobile phone infrastructure is based on 2.5G technologies, though this is changing following the April 2007 granting of 3G licenses to Megafon, MTS and VympelCom (which trades as Beeline). As such, 3G services are set to launch in major Russian cities in late spring/summer. However, Russia is a vast country, and WiMax could provide an alternative route to bring more of the country into the digital decade. The US is seeing WiMax deployments, albeit slowly and subject to much delay. Zyxtel is shipping XHOM WiMax high speed routers to Sprint that will be used in its nationwide WiMAX rollout, perhaps later this year. And AT&T’s unlikely to take its eye off the importance of its network products segment - it won’t let Sprint take home all the gravy.
WiMAX is also being rolled out in Germany and Japan, two of Apple's bigger markets, with active trials underway and early 2008 mass rollouts planned. So, let’s consider the evidence at this point: We know Apple has a licensing deal with InterDigital; we are fairly confident Apple will introduce a 3G iPhone soon; we know Apple has aggressive sales targets for this device, and that the company plans to introduce iPhones into more territories this year; we know that some of those target countries, Russia, for example, are moving to adopt WiMax; and we know InterDigital is deeply involved in developing a convergence standard to facilitate use of mixed network standards through a single device. We also know Apple likes to amaze, and is in a close relationship with Intel, which is looking for a WiMax champion (and is building WiMax support into many of its chips). With WiMax network roll-out set to gather steam this year, Apple has the opportunity to leapfrog all debate regarding 3G support and initiate a new age of wide area network computing. All these signs and portents don’t constitute anything other than speculation. After all - WiMax isn’t yet widely deployed, and Apple may choose to wait until it is before it initiates such a move. But when (or if) it does, it already has the key relationships - and products - it needs to hustle users into a new connected age. Remember, Apple was the first to bring its customers to Wifi - with its Airport products introduced at MacWorld New York City in 1999.
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shi*
now, that's just s*hit. WIMAX has no global expanse at this time. apple is a fairly late adopter on cutting edge things, if it hasn't proven useful or good immediately (as with blu-ray). Apple's gonna include 3G at this time, no more no less. wimax might possibly follow in 5-10 years. until then, please stop spreading weird ideas under the disguise of a rumor site.
wow. very insiteful (sic).
wow. very insiteful (sic). Actually if you had read the post, you'd know that WiMAX is currently being rolled out in Russia - where there are already 500,000 iPhones. It is rolling out in the US later this year.
There is every possibility that Apple could roll with the WiMax
what a frigtard
Apple rules but they aren't
Apple rules but they aren't jumping on the WiMax yet.
They didn't take Blu-ray
They didn't take Blu-ray because it wasn't slot load and it didn't have a good battery life. They said clearly that it is speculation, so if that's not why you're looking for, go to Apple.com/startpage for
your news.
I thought it was an awesome article, and definately possible for either v2 or v3
They didn't take Blu-ray
They didn't take Blu-ray because it wasn't slot load and it didn't have a good battery life.
And, because blu-ray sucks in terms of draconian licensing issues that require manufacturers to limit the capabilities of the operating system AND hardware in perpetuity.
Apple doesn't really like to be told what to do by others in the industry.
Apple will go with Blu-Ray only once Blu-Ray doesn't require unilateral, legally-bound platform restrictions by the licensors.
I agree with you that it may
I agree with you that it may be too early for WIMax, but... Apple a late adopter? Maybe you were only considering Apple's hesitancy on blue-ray, but for years Apple has been known for pushing the state of the art. Apple has adopted the best of the existing technologies and has helped to widespread them.
It was Apple who adopted Xerox's mouse. It has been Apple ho has advanced the Multi-touch technology with the iPhone, now everyone following suit. It was Apple with the iMac who pushed the use of the now ubiquitous and then unknown USB. Without it we would still be stuck whit serial, parallel and PS/2. These are just a few examples of good technologies that Apple has helped to widespread for everyone's the benefit.
But it's not just hardware it's software too: Apple helped to win the battle against wma with the iPod and now it will do the same to help killing the wmv format and its awful and proprietary codec VC-1. Remember that in 2005 Apple joined the blue-ray board of directors, so Apple's sure interested in it, now with the HD-DVD officially defunct, it's a matter of time Apple decides to add blue-ray on its products. It won't last long until we see it, maybe later this year.
On the other hand, you say 5-10 years for WIMax. This is ages in computer technology. Take into consideration that, for example the iPod was introduced just 7 years ago when few people knew about mp3 players. I think that the adoption of WIMax will be much faster than that.
'Awful and proprietary' VC-1
'Awful and proprietary' VC-1 is, I believe, the most-used codec for Blu-ray discs at the moment.
Just throwing that out there.
interesting conspiracy
interesting conspiracy theory
No one has mentioned the
No one has mentioned the fact of AT&T winning bids on the 700mhz spectrum and talking about a 4G technology based off of that, which doesn't appear to be WiMax. Could there be another competing technology from AT&T that the iPhone might use?
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=4800&cdvn=news&newsarticleid=25428
Apple is working on an
Apple is working on an alternative to WiMax that they will be launching soon.
I can't think of many things
I can't think of many things more useless than one sentence replies like "this wont happen" or "Apple is doing this" would anyone care to explain themselves? I'd say WiMax or similar technology is right around the corner for Apple, I've always wondered what has even taken them this long. WiMax would be so useful for the iphone and for future ultra-mobile computers like the air, and in the future, after the AT&T deal is up, apple could make a slick VoIP app and forget wireless carriers all together.
Never going to happen.
Never going to happen. There are better technologies for the iPhone and Apple knows it.
Apple a 'late adopter'--nice
Apple a 'late adopter'--nice one, LOL. What is Microsoft and the PeeCee industry but a bunch of slacker Apple copiers?
Apple does it, you all follow slavishly, and nothing happens until Apple does it first (and usually after the PeeCee fanboys diss it for a few years, then adobt it.)
what I see
What if apple is not moving to 3G because they are switching carriers for the iphone all together? That would make sense at least to me.
I think they are going to
I think they are going to open it up. With ATT footing a $100-$200 rebate for 2 year plans (as rumored on macrumors.com), I am guessing that Apple will sell unlocked versions through their store and ATT will sell locked versions at a discount. It is entirely possible that Apple could be looking for a chip that could do more than one function, "in the case of an 802.21 handset, deployment of the standard could theoretically allow the device to seamlessly switch between various connectivity options, including Wi-FI, 3G and (drum roll please), WiMax."
This way, a "open" iphone would work on any high-speed wireless connection on any network. The catch will be whether or not Visual Voicemail works on any network. Believe it or not, this is one of the greatest features of the iphone in my opinion.
Apple/Wimax
Wimax, when deployed, will change everything. The Telcos are scared to death about it as it enables people to be free of the BS the AT&T's foist on the world. This is why I will never buy an iPhone but if an iPhone comes with WiMax, ah, different story to be sure. It will take time but within five years, WiMax will be everywhere and I, for one, can't wait for it to happen.
Apple, 802 .21, WiMAX
Apple would be smart to be promiscuous about radio technologies, if they are in such demand from carriers that they can get away with it. A design that kept the network stack well formed and allowed pluggins in different MAC and PHY in both H/W and S/W would allow such arms-dealer type of approach to design. 802.21 is also designed that way, to provide a media independent upper interface within the mobile device.
As far as WiMAX, 2009 is pretty much a make or break year for it. Let's see what happens. If it gets deployed in places to bring wireless internet (without a voice infrastructure) it might not create such intense competition against the incumbents. Let's see.
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