Apple licenses InterDigital tech, presumably for 3G iPhone

InterDigital, a wireless technology firm better known around these parts for its imbroglios with Samsung and Nokia than any specific technological contributions, has apparently penned a seven year licensing deal with Apple, said to be worth some $56 million. Not that there was any doubt about Apple eventually releasing a 3G iPhone, but one analyst noted that "the deal covers various 2G and 3G cellular technologies", which is always an encouraging thing to hear. Of course, it's still anyone's guess as to when that device might appear, but after this week's price drop brouhaha, we think Apple might not be rushing to something else that might arouse the ire of its first adopter crowd.

[Joe Silverton @ Sep 9th 2007 8:43PM]

The very early price drop was so out of character for Apple I wouldn't doubt if they introduce the 3G Phone here in the States sooner rather than later. Like the end of this year maybe? Tons of people are waiting for the 2nd gen.

[Twitchy @ Sep 9th 2007 10:33PM]

What percentage of the US population is actually within range opf a 3G network? I know the percentage in Germany is easily well over 85%. It would make more business sense for Apple to pour every 3G iPhone into a market where there is a population to support sales, vs. the handful who could actually utilise the 3G capability. I therefore predict that the 3G iPhone will appear stateside once the 3G capable nations start showing a slowdown in demand for the iPhone, which will probably be around 4-6 months after initial release (given that cell-phones are in for only around 6 months in Europe et al).

[Joe Silverton @ Sep 10th 2007 7:00AM]

New York, Chicago, and quite a few other major cities have 3G. I bet it's over 60 per cent now. December.

[ukickmydog @ Sep 9th 2007 8:44PM]

seriously, just screw the early adopters, i'm sick of hearing them bitch about paying more, they weren't forced to buy the phone and were fully aware of the price they were going to pay. I wasn't bothered at all. In the words of KT Tunstall "Technology, eh?"

[Robert @ Sep 9th 2007 9:11PM]

prepare to be voted down!

[TeddyN @ Sep 10th 2007 8:51AM]

lol, I think you saying 'prepare to be voted down' caused the original poster to be voted up even more :)

[Racy @ Sep 9th 2007 8:49PM]

i agree completely, and that is how phone tech is anyway, price drops are rarely ever far apart. what shocked me the most was on the day apple announced the price drop and the new ipods apples stock price actually dropped almost 10 points!

[ukickmydog @ Sep 9th 2007 9:12PM]

thats why i shorted right before the announcement, cause i knew no matter what they released, people wouldn't be happy

[Gadget Chick @ Sep 9th 2007 8:54PM]

grr i just bought one after the price drop :( .. oh well im never in any 3g areas anyway

[Ellianth @ Sep 9th 2007 9:02PM]

If there's one thing i enjoy reading, it's a good engadget fight. Please rewrite the article so it causes more fights :'(.

Actually I'll just start a fire, someone feed the flames please.

Apple sucks, iphone sucks, you suck!

[Aaron @ Sep 9th 2007 9:03PM]

Why anyone buys a first generation Apple product is beyond me. Always buggy, and something improved always comes out fairly quick.

-Aaron
http://www.aarondavidson.com

[ScOObyDoo @ Sep 9th 2007 9:03PM]

I'm curious what part of the iPhone they make. They were rumored as being the brains behind the current one months ago, but when opened it turned out to be an Infineon based system.

[Adam B @ Sep 9th 2007 9:04PM]

Would this be on AT&T as well, or would they possibly roll it out on T-Mobile's much anticipated 3G network which was supposed to come out mid of 2007.? 0_o

[Will @ Sep 9th 2007 10:54PM]

at&t has a 5 year exclusive contract, so when it's released in the U.S. it will be on at&t

[Trevor @ Sep 9th 2007 9:09PM]

Oh joy, I can just hear it...early adopters get screwed again. I can't wait for the whole new wave of complaints...

[matthew @ Sep 9th 2007 9:10PM]

you guys do realize edge is technically 3g

[ukickmydog @ Sep 9th 2007 9:15PM]

the way a supercharged v4 is to a v12

[Damo @ Sep 10th 2007 9:10AM]

Yep, need to stick to more specific terms. EDGE , UMTS < HSPDA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mobile_telephony_standards

[Damo @ Sep 10th 2007 9:11AM]

I meant "EDGE < UMTS < HSPDA"

[Brad @ Sep 10th 2007 11:07AM]

EDGE is not 3G. It's referred to as 2.5G. Here's the evolution....

GSM (2G) -> EDGE (2.5G) -> WCDMA (3G) -> HSDPA -> HSUPA -> HSPA+ -> LTE

LTE is/has been called 3.9G and WiMax is referred to 4G. However, LTE *should* have the higher data rates of 50MB up 100MB dn. HSPA+ is akin to EDGE and is being pushed by Qualcomm. HSUPA should be coming soon to the 3G operators. If Sprint/Nextel, Clearwire and others who rollout WiMax have success expect AT&T and T-Mobile to push up their HSPA+ and LTE plans. So go out and support the WiMax rollout.

[rex @ Sep 9th 2007 9:11PM]

Time to buy more stocks!

[budich @ Nov 7th 2007 7:49PM]

i am just cuorious to know whats technology in Iphone, why it can use finger instead of the stylus ?
Budi
http://www.myweb20.org

[Cellenin @ Sep 9th 2007 9:20PM]

Whoa..You guys all love apple because they are on the Bleeding edge right? so why are you complaining now?

[Argot @ Sep 9th 2007 9:25PM]

THIS is "bleeding edge"?
What's next for Apple in that case? iPhone - steam engine edition?

[Bobo @ Sep 9th 2007 9:22PM]

What is exactly the cut off point for early adoption bitching? 4 months? 6? whatever it is Apple, please release it the next day.

[peternj @ Sep 9th 2007 9:38PM]

Well thanks for the information. This makes sense of the price cut. So we're looking at a 16gb and 32gb 3g iPhone.

Anyone buying an iphone today or tomorrow or anytime has only themselves to blame.

I think the Street should short Apple till the news is concrete. Jobs needs to make the iTouch with Blue tooth as well. He was not happy, making out Wifi is better than 3g. Well my Verizon Wifi is better than Starbucks any day.

Apple came out with the iPhone to fast, maybe the Prada phone spooked them.

[K Maven @ Sep 9th 2007 9:38PM]

Hi everyone, could someone tell me what would be good about having the iPhone with 3G capabilities. What does it currently have?

[Final Light @ Sep 9th 2007 9:46PM]

well i've personally never used a phone with 3G but as far as i know the internet is faster...

[Frank @ Sep 9th 2007 9:57PM]

I had a 2g phone and orb (which allows you to stream TV across the internet to your phone) 2g was unbearable, but with 3g it's AWESOME. Also it allows you to surf the internet at dang near WIFI speeds and the phone battery lasts twice as long with 3g as apposed to WIFI.

[john lynx @ Sep 9th 2007 9:27PM]

its better than the razors $400 to $100 change... people need to stop bitching and thinking more carefuly about purchases

[ukickmydog @ Sep 9th 2007 11:56PM]

you mean razors $400 to buy one for $50 get three free price

[Jesse S @ Sep 9th 2007 9:27PM]

Can someone explain to me why the wondrous, completely original and revolutionary iPhone didn't include 3G, like almost every other phone that's been out since 3G has been around?

And don't say battery life, that comment was such BS...

[Matt O @ Sep 9th 2007 11:00PM]

battery life.

[derX @ Sep 9th 2007 11:12PM]

See how when people first bought the iPhone, people were "bitching" about the non-user changeable battery? Well, 3G really kills a battery's life requiring it to be charged more frequently than a non-3G phone. Also, the more times a battery is charged, the shorter its life. So, the inclusion of 3G would've shortened the battery's life then the people would've upped their "bitching" from screaming from the mountain top to mainly deaf ears, to yelling through a megaphone in the middle of the Superbowl, so to speak.

Also, it has been said it was left out in the interest of thinness.

[John M @ Sep 10th 2007 10:24AM]

3g was left out b/c the phone was in development for 2 years. 3g is in its infancy in the US right now and 2 years ago it was pre-natal. So, if they could have just "thrown it in" they would have. But, since it really probably wasn't considred until about 6 months prior to release they probably decided to use it in gen 2.

[sergiulucian @ Sep 9th 2007 9:32PM]

OMG mates, will this iphone madness ever end? There are a lot of other devices out there and companies which do not screw their customers, and by that i'm not refering to the price drop, but to the iphone itself. Does the iphone even compare with the Eten X500+ or the HTC Kaiser? NO, not by a long shot.
Don't get me wrong all you guys who bought the iphone, i respect your choice, most of you are probably very satisfied with steve's phone, but let set one thing straight here, the iphone was never a revolutionary device as some claimed. The thing that got everybody excited was that neverending waiting period. The same phenomenon is happening in Europe right now.

[peternj @ Sep 9th 2007 11:32PM]

I agree, I bought a Helio Ocean the day Jobs cut the price of the soon to be defunct EDGE iPhone.

[humpty @ Sep 9th 2007 9:35PM]

Nah, i aint giving up my Blackberry... esp. since its paid for by work.

[BladeRunner @ Sep 9th 2007 9:36PM]

I am one of the cats waiting for 3G. My BB is cool for the moment.

[will Arnold @ Sep 9th 2007 10:17PM]

I sent this in like 3 days ago.... o well...

[snitch @ Sep 9th 2007 10:19PM]

I just hope that if they release a 3G capable model, that it wont suck the entire battery in 2 hours or so, otherwise i wont upgrade from edge untill its perfected a little more, 3g its great but i preffer battery life over it anytime

[frank @ Sep 9th 2007 10:28PM]

Sooooooo is everyone going to pissed next year when the thinner, happier, more productive iPhone is released?

[Gadget Mike @ Sep 9th 2007 10:53PM]

My guess is that Apple as we speak is having the 3G 2nd gen model of the iphone being manufactured in China right now, hence why Apple was so quick to drop the 1st Gen model price three months after release. I wouldn't be suprised to see a 16gb iphone model released before this Xmas.

[matthew @ Sep 10th 2007 12:12AM]

ONE MORE TIME



EDGE IS A 3G TECHNOLOGY


LOL?

[John @ Sep 9th 2007 11:59PM]

January?

[Brad @ Sep 10th 2007 11:19AM]

I agree, battery life will be shorter with their 3G version. Question is by how much? Are you guys happy with the current iPhone battery life?

The killer app for the iPhone is A-GPS, i think. Hopefully, AT&T will get their A-GPS infrastructure and service up quickly. The phone technology is already there. Google maps app will need an upgrade. I'm thinking street-level view turn-by-turn navigation.