

IPad '4G' claims face scrutiny from UK regulator - wgx
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17899912

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panacea
The iPhone 3G should never have been called that and Apple should _not_ be
touting the latest iterations of the devices as "4G".

They are meaningless terms in so many real world situations.

I can have a xG phone near a compatible tower and the right chip set and it
might get advertised speeds, or the network might be congested.

I can have a xG phone in the desert and get nothing.

I can have a xG phone with the wrong chip set for where I am.

I can have a xG phone but the carrier roaming charges are astronomical because
I'm overseas.

It's a difficult problem (obviously), but I want an always connected
everywhere phone with transparent and reasonable (!=cheap) pricing for data.

I don't want fast mobile if I stand on one foot near the right mobile tower in
the right country. I want reliable connectivity.

Imagine if you were sold a 60 watt lightbulb for your home and it flickered,
was dim or completely dark. It's not the bulb, it's the electrical supply you
say? Well the bulb is being sold with the electrical supply in nearly all
cases. Phone contracts are the bulb and electrical supply rolled into one.

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alanbyrne
Another unfortunate example of a US company forgetting that there people
outside their own borders with different constraints and requirements.

I'd rather Apple just gave a boat load of money to UK mobile networks to help
them upgrade to 4G :)

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edd
Unfortunately money isn't the thing holding back UK 4G adoption. You can read
more about the delays here: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17853286>

But even then because no two countries will be using the same spectrum my
understanding is that UK 4G will be incompatible with US 4G.

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nl
Apple recently got in trouble in Australia over the same issue[1]. The final
outcome of that case is still pending - at least insofar as what Apple is
going to have to do about it.

[1] [http://www.smh.com.au/business/apple-and-accc-ipad-
mediation...](http://www.smh.com.au/business/apple-and-accc-ipad-mediation-
fails-20120416-1x33y.html)

~~~
thatjoshguy
Customers who bought the 4G iPad before the 28th March had until the 25th of
April to approach Apple for a refund.

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TazeTSchnitzel
Also, isn't the "4G" it has on AT&T in the US not really 4G though? I mean the
faster 3G, not LTE of course.

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sipefree
There's no one standard definition of "4G". A myriad of differing technologies
all claim to be 4G, which is why it's just about impossible for a vendor to
produce a device compatible with every one worldwide. If "4G" had a solid
definition, and everybody was using it, but iPad didn't support it, then it
would be understandable.

~~~
CraigRood
While I agree theres no standard definition, theres a general agreement
between all parties that LTE is "4G" and HSDPA+ is "3G" (or "3.5G" if you
will).

To argue the semantics of what "3G" and "4G" really is only confuses customers
even more - and thats exactly what Australia and the UK are trying to prevent.

~~~
chris_wot
Exactly. By stating that something is 4G compliant, when there is no real
defined way of easily defining the term, then it's pretty misleading!

