The iPhone 5 will work on LTE networks "around the world", the Wall Street Journal reports. That means if you use one, you'll be able to jump between high-speed networks as you trot around the globe. Though there is one rather massive caveat: it won't work on every network, according to the Journal's sources.
Drat.
Speculation has been rife that the new iPhone will be 4G after the latest iPad launched with LTE support in the US. Other manufacturers -- like Apple's arch-nemesis Samsung -- have launched mobiles that support LTE (commonly referred to as 4G), but locked to one region. So if you bought a Galaxy S3 in the US, you wouldn't be able to use an LTE network anywhere else in the world.
Apple won't be the first to come touting international LTE connectivity. The Nokia Lumia 920, announced this week, supports five bands of LTE. But it just isn't possible yet to make one phone equipped to work on all LTE networks across the world. We still haven't got one in the UK, for starters, though Everything Everywhere is expected to roll one out in the coming weeks.
The iPhone 5 will be announced on 12 September -- that's this Wednesday. Last week Apple sent out an invite for the event, with the shadow of the 12 making a 5, so it's a dead cert the handset will be unveiled. It's expected to pack a 4-inch screen, high-speed LTE access, and a faster processor.
Apple marketed the latest iPad as 4G, but had to climb down after people complained it only works on some LTE bands across the world. So hopefully Apple will be a bit clearer with the next iPhone.
Are you excited about the iPhone 5? What are you hoping for? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.
