Here's why Apple's iPhone 8 won't support 'high-speed' internet

NEW DELHI: : Apple's upcoming iPhone 8 (also likely to be called 'iPhone Edition') has been a hot topic in the tech industry ever since last year, gaining even more popularity in the past few months due to rumours of having features like a bezel-less display and a fingerprint sensor embedded under the screen. But if a new report from Bloomberg website is to be believed, the smartphone may not be as advanced as its Android rivals, at least when it comes to high-speed internet connectivity.

The report says that iPhone 8 (as well as iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, which are expected to launch later this year as well) won't be supporting high-speed internet or Gigabit LTE. Some US-based carriers and smartphone manufacturers have already confirmed that their future networks and devices will have Gigabit LTE support, but it seems like Apple's trio will miss out on high-speed internet.

Qualcomm has already claimed that its latest modems can theoretically reach Gigabit LTE speeds. On the other hand, Intel is yet to come up with such modems.

Interestingly, both companies are Apple's modem suppliers because the Cupertino-based tech giant doesn't rely on just one supplier for hardware. It also cannot launch select iPhones with Gigabit LTE supporting Qualcomm modems. So it seems like the company will have to wait until Intel comes up with faster modems.

If true, this could harm Apple's market as Android competitors are already shipping smartphones with high-speed internet support. Samsung's Galaxy S8 already comes with Qualcomm X16 LTE modem that can support gigabit LTE speeds. Recently Sprint, a US-based telecom carrier, also revealed that HTC U 11 is the first smartphone to support its Gigabit LTE network. The carrier will also have a Motorola handset with same capabilities later this year.