New iPhone To Support LTE

Expect the next iPhone to be 4G LTE compatible, a report released Friday said.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the flagship Apple smartphone will receive 4G LTE compatability, which is the latest generation of cellular technology and is supposed to provide faster mobile Internet speeds than previous technologies such as 3G.

4G LTE technology was largely expected to be included in last year’s iPhone model, the iPhone 4S. Apple chose instead to go with HSPA+, a slightly speedier 3G technology, but a far cry from what can be had on the 4G LTE spec, which can be ten times as fast.

Wireless carriers are eager to drive more customers to those networks, which are more efficient and could spur faster growth in data revenue by making it easier for consumers to use services like streaming video.

Another report early Friday said the next iPhone will likely cost the same as the iPhone 4S and start at $199 for a 16 GB version, going up from there.

Apple is expected to debut its next iPhone at its press event Wednesday. It kicks off at 10 a.m. PT. Expect more details on that early next week.