Now showing 4G on iPhone 4S after iOS 5.1 update

[Doolie]

You're missing the big picture, lets look at the more than just the one picture you posted of AT&T iPhone 4S marketing.

First, I stated that there are others that don't say its a 4G device. AT&T itself is not even consistent with their marketing of the iPhone 4S I can point you to several pages where the words 4G are not even mentioned. Apple doesn't say its a 4G device on its web site, and neither does AT&T on many of its pages.

I'm impressed that you found a single picture with a 4G logo. But I can point you to several other places at ATT.com where it isn't stated as 4G. Including the main product page AT&T publishes for the iPhone.

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-pho...sku=sku5370400

And even today... cnet.com reports..



Confusion continues to reign, apparently among professional writers. no matter what some mega poster on a message board writes.

And AT&T continues to confound, since a 4G phone doesn't necessarly qualify for the 5GB cap that 4G LTE phones get.



So I state again, did AT&T make a mistake the public with the 4G logo you found? Or is the problem marketing department can't agree if a 4G device or not, or is AT&T is just stupid and foolishly not fully branding the iPhone 4S as a 4G device?

It's listed as 4G from that page when you click on the "Details" pop up under "More About the Device". Select the "Specification" tab. It's listed there as both HSPA+ and 4G.

[phxpaul]

That will give AT&T an edge inside the Apple store since all three carriers sell side by side with active iPhones. The low information buyer will see that the AT&T model says 4G and might be swayed to buy it. Especially over the Sprint model

[spdickey]

It's listed as 4G from that page when you click on the "Details" pop up under "More About the Device". Select the "Specification" tab. It's listed there as both HSPA+ and 4G.

Wow, congratulations for finding that in the small type after two additional mouse clicks. AT&T must be really proud of the 4G* designation since they do such a good job of making it hard to find. You'd think there would be a 4G "World's Fastest iPhone" all over the website!

And now I wonder about that astrisx, no mention of what that means on that page.

Good news in rumors that the next iPhone will have real 4G LTE. Perhaps that's why Apple is refusing to go along with AT&T's controversial 4G messaging for the HSPA+ 4S.

According to Taiwanese tech site Digitimes, a prolific and sometimes accurate rumormonger, its checks with Apple suppliers indicate that the next iPhone is “very likely” to support LTE, pushing up the sales of LTE smartphones to 45-50 million. -Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...g9R_story.html

[Doolie]

Wow, congratulations for finding that in the small type after two additional mouse clicks. AT&T must be really proud of the 4G* designation since they do such a good job of making it hard to find. You'd think there would be a 4G "World's Fastest iPhone" all over the website!

And now I wonder about that astrisx, no mention of what that means on that page.

Good news in rumors that the next iPhone will have real 4G LTE. Perhaps that's why Apple is refusing to go along with AT&T's controversial 4G messaging for the HSPA+ 4S.

To be fair, really none of the tech specs are listed on the first page for the iPhone, just mostly plan info. This isn't the case for all smartphones on their site, which appear to list all the tech specs within their first page instead of a pop-up.

[spdickey]

To be fair, really none of the tech specs are listed on the first page for the iPhone, just mostly plan info. This isn't the case for all smartphones on their site, which appear to list all the tech specs within their first page instead of a pop-up.

And its also fair to say AT&T seems to highlight 4G on some phones, and not on others. See http://www.att.com/network/

For the iPhone 4S AT&T seems to bury its HSPA+ capacity that the carrier seems to want to label as 4G. In fact on the page I linked above, AT&T calls the iPhone 4 a "Fast 3G" and the iPhone 4S isn't represented at all as a 4G device. Definitely a mixed message from Ma Bell and not as absolute as some posters may think it should be.

Its a good thing that AT&T apparently isn't pushing the iPhone 4S as a 4G device, since that "fake 4G" is so controversial.

[jet1000]

Wow, congratulations for finding that in the small type after two additional mouse clicks. AT&T must be really proud of the 4G* designation since they do such a good job of making it hard to find.

If it's hard to find then why are you making such a big deal about it?

AT&T sold a record number of iPhones last quarter, so they have no problems in marketing the device the way they've been doing it. If it's hard to find the mentions of 4G, then why make such a big deal about the topic?

[spdickey]

If it's hard to find then why are you making such a big deal about it?

AT&T sold a record number of iPhones last quarter, so they have no problems in marketing the device the way they've been doing it. If it's hard to find the mentions of 4G, then why make such a big deal about the topic?

Why? Because it is hard to find. And you make a big deal about how its there and you're so right, while I say AT&T makes it hard to find. AT&T is selling a lot of phones they way they market it, regardless.

Many consumers were fooled into thinking their iPhones got faster with the current iOS upgrade, when it was just Apple bowing to pressure from AT&T marketing hacks. For proof, see the article

Faux G: New "4G" indicator on iPhone 4S is the tip of a standards iceberg

[jet1000]

when it was just Apple bowing to pressure from AT&T marketing hacks. For proof, see the article

The article contained zero proof that Apple bowed to any pressure. You have posted zero proof that AT&T even did pressure Apple. Nothing. That statement is nothing more than wild speculation on your part.

[spdickey]

The article contained zero proof that Apple bowed to any pressure. You have posted zero proof that AT&T even did pressure Apple. Nothing. That statement is nothing more than wild speculation on your part.

No speculation here, I have the quote. Sorry, if you need confirmation on the article's contention that Apple capitulated, you need to direct your request for additional proof to them. I take the statement on its face value as true since I tend to believe the author's veracity rather than an anonymous mega poster. That you don't believe it is truly another matter that frankly, no one cares.

In a rare move of capitulation to a carrier, Apple caved to pressure from AT&T and made a controversial change in iOS 5.1 last week: an iPhone 4S on AT&T now reports a "4G" network rather than the old 3G signal. This change has been expected since October of 2011, but that doesn't mean it was uncontroversial.

Reactions to the switch were mixed. Some people suggest that the terminology is largely meaningless anyway, so the relabeling doesn't matter; a wireless standard by any other name will still download as sweetly. Others were affronted by Apple failing to stand firm and stop iOS being infected by AT&T's marketing pixie dust.

http://www.tuaw.com/2012/03/14/faux-...andards-icebe/

[XFF]

I'm gonna have to agree with the antagonists on this one:

Make no mistake -- what's happened in iOS 5.1 on the iPhone 4S is an AT&T change only. If you're anywhere else in the world, on any other network, and enjoying a full-speed HSPA+ download to your iPhone 4S, the indicator will say "3G" and not "4G." Only AT&T gets this treatment (so far).

If the "4G" indicator is only shown on AT&T, and not on other - even faster - networks, then it's extremely unlikely - and inexplicable - that Apple conjured this up on their own for no reason. The much more likely scenario is that AT&T somehow petitioned Apple, which caved in to the carrier's demands. Labeling HSPA+ as "4G" is questionable enough as it is, but applying it selectively to a single network is rather ridiculous.

Even worse, Brian Klug of Anandtech discovered that even plain-jane UMTS 3G reports as 4G now -- so the new "4G" indicator can't even be used as a meaningful guide to when you are getting HSPA+ speeds. It just means you're on AT&T's network and you're getting better than EDGE speeds.

That's just plain utterly unacceptable and misleading to the extreme!

[spdickey]

I'm gonna have to agree with the antagonists on this one:

If the "4G" indicator is only shown on AT&T, and not on other - even faster - networks, then it's extremely unlikely - and inexplicable - that Apple conjured this up on their own for no reason. The much more likely scenario is that AT&T somehow petitioned Apple, which caved in to the carrier's demands. Labeling HSPA+ as "4G" is questionable enough as it is, but applying it selectively to a single network is rather ridiculous.

That's just plain utterly unacceptable and misleading to the extreme!

That AT&T wanted the change is well documented...

AT&T Wants 4G Indicator on iPhone 4S, ‘working with Apple’
AT&T isn’t content just to tell you that the iPhone 4S on AT&T is capable fo download speeds twice as fast as the Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4S models. Now, they want to make sure you know you are using ’4G’ every time you use your new iPhone.

Shortly after AT&T sent out a press release touting the fast HSPA+ networks and ability to talk and surf at the same time, This Is My Next uncovered an internal document that shows AT&T is ‘working with Apple’ to place a 4G indicator on the iPhone 4S.

AT&T has since confirmed the joint task, of adding a 4G icon to the iPhone 4S.

Its also well documented that Apple didn't want to label the phone as 4G early on.

2 Reasons Why Apple Isn’t Calling the iPhone 4S a 4G Phone Despite HSPA+ Support
Following today’s announcement of the iPhone 4S by Tim Cook and team, we now know that Apple will create one iPhone model with CDMA and GSM radios built-in that can either be used on AT&T or Verizon and Sprint in the U.S. Though Apple describes the iPhone 4S to have 4G-like speeds, the iPhone-maker is refusing to label the iPhone 4S a 4G-capable device, and here are two possible reasons why: [more at: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2011/10...-hspa-support/ ]

So why did Apple change the label on AT&T phones only, it was being "worked" over by AT&T, obviously.

AT&T was trying to get a foothold vs. Verizon by claiming it has 4G speeds in its footprint. But Verizon provides much higher speeds over more of the country.

And even with HDPA with 14.4 Mbps theoretical maximum speeds for AT&T, AT&T’s network so far would not even allow users to come anywhere close to that theoretical max. In an uncovered letter to developers, AppleInsider discovered that AT&T is capping its theoretical speed to below 1/10th of what the maximum speeds can deliver:

“AT&T has engineered its network so that most users’ experience typical downlink throughput rates of 700 kilobits per second (Kbps) to 1.7 Mbps, with bursts over 1 Mbps. Typical uplink rates are 500 Kbps to 1.2 Mbps.”

Compare that Verizon’s 4G LTE network, which promises and also delivers speeds of around 15 Mbps and you have an iPhone 4S that is far from 4G.

[jet1000]

No speculation here, I have the quote.

You have a quote of someone else who provided no evidence. The bottom line is you stated something as a fact and you have no evidence. You may believe it is true personally. But when challenged, you failed to provide evidence of the fact.

Its also well documented that Apple didn't want to label the phone as 4G early on.

It is not well documented. You provide a link to an article that contains more speculation. The fact that Apple did permit a 4G icon to show up on their phone, shoots a hole in much of the speculation contained in your so called "documentation".

So why did Apple change the label on AT&T phones only,

More false information that it was changed only on AT&T phones. It's the same firmware update to all iPhone 4S. However the iPhone only operates on Sprint and Verizon's 3G network, so the icon would never appear. I've seen no evidence that it applies to only AT&T phones as you claim.

[spdickey]

You have a quote of someone else who provided no evidence. The bottom line is you stated something as a fact and you have no evidence. You may believe it is true personally. But when challenged, you failed to provide evidence of the fact.

It is not well documented. You provide a link to an article that contains more speculation. The fact that Apple did permit a 4G icon to show up on their phone, shoots a hole in much of the speculation contained in your so called "documentation".

More false information that it was changed only on AT&T phones. It's the same firmware update to all iPhone 4S. However the iPhone only operates on Sprint and Verizon's 3G network, so the icon would never appear. I've seen no evidence that it applies to only AT&T phones as you claim.

Bottom line, you disagree with the evidence presented. So your problem now is not with me, but with at least two sources I have provided. They don't call it speculation, you do. If you don't want to believe, don't. You failed to provide any evidence of your belief. Zero.

And the icon only appears on AT&T's network. Proof that Verizon and Sprint wanted nothing of it or their phones would indicate 4G as well. That you have no evidence it not appearing is proof that it does not.

[efparri]

Verizon and Sprint have no "4G" network which would be detectable by the iPhone 4S. The best the iPhone 4S can do on CDMA networks is EV-DO. Your proof is no proof at all.

[Guest 214]

Verizon and Sprint have no "4G" network which would be detectable by the iPhone 4S. The best the iPhone 4S can do on CDMA networks is EV-DO. Your proof is no proof at all.

Well if Sprint or Verizon decided to deploy EVDO Rev. B then the CDMA version would be "4G" as well. As much so as ATT


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