Apple iPhone 4S includes HSPA+ 14.4, GSM/CDMA Dual Mode, Diversity
by Brian Klug on October 4, 2011 2:17 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Apple
- Mobile
- iPhone
- iPhone 4S
Apple got up on stage today and announced the iPhone 4S, and alongside it confirmed that the smartphone will have a reworked cellular architecture complete with dual-mode HSPA+ and CDMA2000 compatibility, making it a world-phone device.
The iPhone 4S supports HSDPA 14.4 and HSUPA 5.76 for GSM/UMTS-based carriers like AT&T, alongside CDMA2000 1x/EVDO Rev.A for 3GPP2 based carriers like Verizon. The iPhone 4S also appears to have an antenna band structure which mirrors that of the CDMA iPhone 4, and likewise includes what appears to be a combination of Rx diversity and the ability to switch between antennas for transmit. This is virtually identical to what we talked about in the CDMA iPhone 4 review which mitigates the infamous iPhone 4 GSM deathgrip.
Apple hasn't confirmed things yet, but Qualcomm's MDM6600 appears to be the baseband inside the iPhone 4S, given its presence in the CDMA iPhone 4 and exactly matching specifications. More on this as it becomes available.
iPhone 4S - Network Support | |||||
GSM/EDGE Support | 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz | ||||
UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA Support | 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 MHz | ||||
CDMA2000 1x/EVDO Support | 800 / 1900 MHz | ||||
HSDPA/HSUPA Speeds (HSPA+) | 14.4 Mbps / 5.76 Mbps | ||||
Baseband Hardware | Qualcomm MDM6600 |
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Ushio01 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
It does have new hardware it replaces a single cortex A8 CPU with a dual core cortex A9 CPU a PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU and an 8MP camera with 1080P recording.kmmatney - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
The insides are pretty good, and I'm interested to see how the backlit camera performs. However the screen is still one of the most important aspects in a smartphone, and I was really hoping for a 4" display.steven75 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Compare a 16:10 android phone with a 4" display to an iPhone, and you'll see the difference is barely noticeable. The only part that's larger is the length. Width is the same.It isn't worth the trade off with the app fragmentation.
deV14nt - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Why 4"? That's tiny! That's like an old Atrix.Recent high-end phones are 4.3" to 4.5". Mainstream will probably stabilize at around 4.3". Guys with bigger hands will go for 4.5" or 4.65". Women might go as low as 4".
I'm not sure what group of people I could say the iPhones are for....tiny people?
ryguy206 - Friday, October 7, 2011 - link
some men don't use purses and "european handbags" and therefore don't want a 5 inch phoneu want a 5 inch phone, buy a shitty samsung phone for fucks sake
a 5 inch phone probably compensates for your 2 inch penis
tayb - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
New internals is fine but that power isn't even necessary I'm rocking a single core Droid X and I could not possible need something faster. What Apple needed to release was a version with a bigger screen.steven75 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Though subjective, I'd say there aren't dozens of superior options available right now. None of them come with iOS 5, for example.Everything you listed has a massive downside.
-Bigger screen = harder to use one-handed, fits less pockets, lower PPI.
-LTE = battery drain, not widely-available, only a real possibility on Verizon right now.
And the 4S *does* have much faster hardware.
tayb - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
I agree. iOS 5 looks awesome.The things I listed do have downsides but I am willing to live with those downsides. Millions and millions of peopled have voted with their wallets that they are willing to live with those downsides.
Apple should have released a 4S and a 4SL.
tag12171 - Friday, December 23, 2011 - link
That is the reason I stick with iPhone. The OS just works. A screen at about 3.8 inches would be nice but that is about all I want.You can criticize the iPhone but, in the end it does what a phone is supposed to do well. If you want an iPhone 4s just get one but, if you are happy with Android, I don't know why you ever considered apple from the beginning :)
wpwoodjr - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 - link
Brian will we ever see the full Bionic review?