AT&T is planning to promote the iPhone 4S as a “4G” device in an effort to differentiate itself from rival carriers Verizon and Sprint, according to a new report. Citing an internal memo that has since been confirmed by AT&T, The Verge reports that the company is working with Apple to have “4G” branding added to the status bar of iPhone 4S devices running on its network.
While both AT&T and T-Mobile have labeled their HSPA+ networks as “4G” for marketing purposes, and the memo refers to the iPhone 4S as a HSPA+ device, Apple made no such claims during its event nor on its website, where the handset is listed as supporting HSDPA/HSUPA networks, with a theoretical download cap of 14.4Mbps, significantly slower than the 84 Mbps cap of HSPA+ when deployed with MIMO technology. AT&T said in its confirmation that it and Apple are “working together” on the branding change, and said that “customers will get 4G speeds from day one” regardless.
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