Brian X Chen for New York Times:
An Apple spokeswoman, Natalie Kerris, said: “iPhone 5 supports simultaneous voice and data on GSM-based 3G and LTE networks. It is not yet possible to do simultaneous voice and data on networks that use CDMA for voice and LTE for data in a single radio design.”
Much has been made today about reports that the iPhone 5 won’t support simultaneous voice and data transmissions over Verizon and Sprint LTE networks.
It is a competitive shortcoming of the phone compared to contenders like Samsung’s Galaxy S III, and it’s because the iPhone 5 doesn’t sport a separate antenna (and radio) to handle voice transmissions like the Samsung phone does. According to Chen’s report, carriers should fix the problem at some point in the future.
Technical sophisticates like bloggers and smartphone enthusiasts are making a big deal of the problem, but it remains to be seen if it’ll have any impact on actual iPhone 5 sales. Muggles are not always interested in the same things that tech weenies care about.
First off, Apple would have had to add yet another antenna to a very small phone for capability that they shouldn’t even have to add. Carriers should have had Voice over LTE running by now. They want to drag their feet on this in the case they can find a way to monetize HD Voice. The lack of carrier HD voice is classic predatory behavior.
The key question in my view is “can the iPhone 5 support Voice Over LTE when carriers add it in the future?” Now if Apple failed in that regard, then I’d be disappointed. Too much of this has focused on Apple, not enough on the failure of the carriers. I just hope this is Apple trying to kick carriers in the behind to get VoLTE rolled out.
iPhone users on Verizon and Sprint until now have never died because of this limitation in iPhone 4 and 4S.
I believe, the iPhone 5 customers on these networks will not find this to be an issue either.
I don’t think its fair to lay the blame on the carriers. Apple made a design decision to not include a CDMA antenna and chip in their design where others (like Samsung) have done this. The decision is likely to do with the difficulty in fitting everything into a slimmed design but the point is that they could have done it but didn’t due to other compromises that would have to be made. People don’t buy for future functionality. Indeed, Apple doesn’t incorporate tech until its at least matured (witness LTE vs battery life and coverage and the lack of NFC).
I think part of this is a real aversion by Apple of jerry-rigging devices specifically to be compatible with the variety of networks around the world. Everyone else builds network focussed devices at a significant cost to economy of scale. Apple makes two and I bet they’d prefer to do one.
All the tech weenies are always saying they don’t use their phones to TALK anymore anyway…
So how come Verizon isn’t getting sued for this deceptive practice.
They have for years saying LTE but never that is only for Data.
How many times have bloggers said that with LTE both voice and data are supported.
The problem I have with that theory is that, based on the explanation Apple gave, there’s a real good chance the iPhone 5 supports Voice over LTE. Apple, if anything, wants to push the mobile providers from CDMA to LTE so the day comes where Apple doesn’t have to put CDMA on the iPhone.
I agree with Ryan. It seems to me the CDMA carriers put Apple in a tough position with their technology limitations, thus putting limitations on design. Yeah, you can compromise, but how drastic could the phone models have been due to the different tech? Verizon and Sprint don’t seem to be in any rush to make the changes to their networks to allow voice & data. I’m sure there are plenty of compromises Apple had to make even for the AT&T network. The American carrier market in general seems to be incredibly stubborn to me…
More proof that the entire mobile industry is a giant mess and a pain for phone makers. When will they just get together and decide on a single system and sick with it?
When they no longer have the ability to effectively regulate themselves.
I am no expert on telco protocols but Voice over LTE is not operational on any carrier and none have announced it. Having that capability in the future is not a good argument when you are selling to people who want voice + data now. CDMA is not going away soon and Apple is not in a position to dictate to the telcos (unfortunately). We’ve seen this time and again. Verizon iPhones have a selective disadvantage over other phones because of this decision and you can bet Samsung, HTC will point that out. I can see it now, “the iPhone is last years technology and can’t even handle voice and data”.
I’m on a Rogers GSM network in Canada and it makes no difference to me (in fact, all of our providers now have GSM and LTE so Canada is ahead of the game in that respect). LTE rocks (on my iPad, its faster than my home wireless).
Perhaps the antenna trick that Samsung uses for simultaneous voice is what they’ve patented? Maybe omitting the antenna steps around Sammy’s threats of a lawsuit?
I’m a tech weenie and I don’t even care about voice/data at the same time.
Stubborn? They are prehistoric knuckle-draggers. Unfortunately, they also represent a large chunk of the iPhone sales (despite their inherent crappiness). When Samsung, HTC, etc are ever so willing to bend over for the US telcos, it does leave Apple vulnerable in its own domain. The US telcos are addicted tot he profits they make for the iPhone but also don’t want it to be so successful in giving Apple a strong hand in negotiations. What other business profits from you and then spends that money on promoting your competitors? Aside from banks, that is! 🙂
I actually considered this as an issue back when the Verizon iPhone first came out: the ability to do voice and data simultaneously on CDMA ended up being, if not a deal-breaker, a serious mark against Verizon. Looking back, I haven’t kept record of how often that proved to be useful, but it wasn’t zero. I’m fortunate to live in an area where the AT&T coverage is good and I can choose to make this a deciding factor, though.
I must make one correction. Currently the iPhone 5 doesn’t support VoLTE. It’s stated explicitly to the FCC. That said, the MDM 9615 baseband supports it, and if Apple wants to add it to the iOS software and enable it, they could. I just don’t know if they will. By the time VoLTE becomes relevant, iOS 7 will be on the doorstep.
Try using your GPS via the phone and being on a call at the same time. Not a problem until you need to update the map due to being rerouted. It won’t work if you cannot have voice and data simultaneously. Unless you hang up your call.