While Apple"s iPhone has supported 3G wireless networks for some time, many people have been wondering when and if the iPhone will begin to support the newer and much faster 4G wireless networks. Now a new rumor from Boy Genius Report states it has proof that Apple is at least testing a LTE supported 4G iPhone. The report claims to have received a new test build for Apple"s iOS operating system and that inside that build"s firmware is evidence of LTE support.
Adding LTE wireless features to a new version of the iPhone is no big shock. Both of the phone"s current wireless carriers here in the US, AT&T and Verizon Wireless, either support LTE or will in the coming months. Verizon has been the most aggressive in expanding its LTE 4G network. It has launched LTE support for over 100 US cities and metropolitan areas and has plans to keep expanding the network in the months and years to come. AT&T has announced it will launch its LTE network in a small selection of US cities later this summer and again will expand to support other cities in the coming month.
Even though Apple may in fact be testing a 4G LTE version of the iPhone, most industry observers don"t expect the upcoming iPhone 5 to have support to use the faster wireless network protocol. We may have to wait until sometime in 2012 before Verizon and AT&T give its customers an iPhone that will connect to its 4G networks.