iPhone 5 To Support 4G Networks in Europe – Report

The highly-anticipated iPhone 5 will support a number of 4G networks around the world, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

People familiar with the matter suggested it was unlikely the handset would  support 4G networks in every country, or every carrier in each territory.

But the 4G connectivity would make the iPhone 5 the first Apple smartphone to feature such functionality, and will ensure it isn’t at a disadvantage against rival devices from the likes of Samsung and Nokia, which both run on 4G networks.

However, it is unknown whether Everything Everywhere’s upcoming 4G network, which will run over the 1800MHz band, will be supported.

iPhone 5 4G

LTE networks are far more fragmented than current generation networks, with many operating on different bands. It is estimated that there are 36 different LTE bands in the world, with the largest numbers of subscribers found in the US, South Korea and Japan.

The first Apple product to feature 4G was the ‘iPad + 4G’ version of ithe new iPad, but it extended only to a handful of carriers in North America. It was marketed as this in the UK, despite there being no commercial 4G service in the country, and in Australia, in which 4G networks use unsupported bandwidth.

Apple eventually changed the name of the device to ‘Wi-Fi + Cellular’ after criticism.

The next version of the smartphone is almost certain to be announced on Wednesday after Apple sent out press invites for an event in San Francisco. Along with support for 4G networks, the iPhone 5 is also expected to boast a larger screen and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.

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