Though Apple received criticism for the iPhone 5′s absence, analysts believe that the company may have lacked the LTE technology to deliver a market-ready device. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company disappointed consumers and critics by revealing the iPhone 4S rather than a new and completely redesigned device, but the delay over the iPhone 5 may be due to the size of the LTE chips requisite for the phone. Current implementations of LTE in Android phones are bulky and not suited to Apple’s sleek and minimalist contour aesthetics. The current available LTE chips would take up far too much room inside the compact iPhone and compromise the design of it- a risk that Apple was not willing to take. Several experts in the microchip industry have pointed out that the iPhone printed circuit board is already small, with no room for an extra chip that would enable LTE unless the size of the battery were shrunk (or alternatively the thickness of the phone was increased to fit a larger PCB and battery). Either way, the inclusion of an LTE chip would necessarily change the design of the iPhone.
Companies such as Qualcomm, who supply chips to companies like Apple, already have tentative release plans next year for a new chip- the MDM9615- which comes in a smaller package and could be viable for use in the iPhone without a compromise in its outward design. It seems like the iPhone 5 is being saved for the LTE version and until 4G LTE technology can be made compact for smartphones, the delay in its release is likely to continue.
