China Mobile"s Chairman Wang Jianzhou today announced Apple"s interest in bringing an LTE iPhone to the mass market, claiming Steve Jobs has shown a desire to begin development.
According to Bloomberg, China Mobile is set to begin large testing of its LTE network, starting with six cities including Shanghai. An iPhone that supports the new network would be a great way to showcase the new speeds, and Jobs is apparently on board with the idea. "Jobs has expressed his interest in an LTE iPhone and is willing to start the development at an early date," Jianzhou said.
The news that Apple may be embracing the next generation of mobile technology hardly comes as a surprise. Indeed, it would be more surprising to learn that Apple would not be adopting LTE. But what would be interesting to see is if LTE will make Apple"s next release of the iPhone, rumoured to be released in the summer.
Apple previously shunned the years-old 3G technology, supposedly in favour of better battery life, with the first iPhone. LTE is known to be a power guzzler, and this could be a stopper for battery-conscious Apple. The average consumer still has a long road ahead before they are going to be demanding LTE in their next phone, but touting blazing-fast wireless speeds on the next iPhone could push LTE into the public consciousness and give Apple a head start.