Review: iPhone 5 (Verizon) review

Largest LTE networkGreat 4G performanceFaceTime over cellularUnlocked hardwareNo simultaneous voice and dataKeeping unlimited plan is pricey

While the handsets may look identical between networks, your choice of provider for the iPhone 5 can result in picking up (or losing) some very helpful perks, many of which seem to fall in the favor of Verizon.

Notably, Verizon allows iPhone 5 users on any data plan to use FaceTime over 4G LTE without an additional charge, which runs contrary to AT&T's own approach in that regard. Likewise, those without unlimited data plans can use the included Personal Hotspot function to create a wireless network for other devices as needed. It might suck your data plan dry, depending on use, but at least it's there in a pinch.

It's been a long time coming, but we finally have an iPhone that supports 4G LTE, leaving the sluggish 3G days in the past – or for those times when you're outside of the LTE coverage zone. Lucky for Verizon users in the U.S. that's a pretty slim area, at least compared to AT&T and Sprint.

We tested our iPhone 5 around the city of Chicago and had no trouble maintaining our LTE signal throughout – and notched very impressive speeds along the way. Using the Speedtest.Net app, we managed to ring up a top download speed of 32.07 Mbps on Verizon, while the top upload speed we saw was 15.29 Mbps.

That's the extreme; more commonly, we saw a download speed in the range of 23-28 Mbps and an upload rate of between 5 -10 Mbps. Occasionally, we notched slower results in testing (only when pinging a specific server, it seemed), but in average day-to-day use, the service didn't disappoint.

Pulling up websites over LTE on Safari still showed a marked speed improvement at all times over what we'd experienced on the iPhone 4S, and even sending iMessages and emails had a previously unseen immediacy that caught us by surprise.

Much as Maps has taken flak for its myriad issues, at least the 3D models loaded pretty quickly for us over LTE (not so much on Wi-Fi, though). Call quality also proved quite good on the iPhone 5, with a clearer signal coming in from the other line than when using Verizon's 3G service on the iPhone 4S.

And as we surprisingly discovered this week, Verizon did not – and says it will not ever – lock the iPhone 5 hardware, meaning you can bounce to a competing network and use its service (not LTE, however) via a different SIM card, as well as use the phone overseas on other networks. What's unprecedented about this move is not that Verizon sold the phone unlocked, but that it seems intent on keeping it that way.

What's the downside to Verizon? Sadly, the iPhone 5 can't manage simultaneous voice and data use over LTE, which means no downloading emails or browsing the web while chatting up a pal over speakerphone. For heavy multitaskers, that could well be a deal-breaker. More casual users may not even notice it until the need pops up in a random future situation.

New Verizon customers must choose from a Share Everything plan, which combines data, voice, and text service, and also includes access to the Personal Hotspot feature. You'll pay $40 a month per device for access and then $40 more on top of that for 300MB of data, with scaling options reaching $50 for 1GB, $60 for 2GB, $70 for 4GB, and so on and so forth. All plans come with unlimited calls and texts.

Existing Verizon customers, meanwhile, can maintain their existing plans with one key exception. Unlimited plan holders who wish to retain their plan aren't eligible for a discount on the iPhone 5 hardware, so the trade-off is either keeping unlimited data at the full retail price of the phone ($650-850) or taking a limited plan and saving money on the phone, assuming you're eligible for an upgrade.

In our initial days of using the iPhone 5 on Verizon's LTE network, we've come away pleased with the results, as it's been speedy and reliable in regular use. It's about on par with other Verizon LTE handsets we've tested in the same market, though for longtime Apple users, it's a late but appreciated revolution that dramatically enhances the iOS 6 experience.

Be sure to read TechRadar's complete review of the iPhone 5.

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Review: iPhone 5 (Sprint) review

The iPhone 5 is here but it's not the same experience on all major carriers. Picking up Apple's latest phone on Sprint, Verizon or AT&T will come with a unique set of baggage.

Picking up an iPhone 5 on Sprint is tempting, since it's the only carrier offering new unlimited plans. However, buyers should know that of the three carriers, Sprint has the smallest 4G service area by far. Buy an iPhone 5 on Sprint and you'll basically pay for unlimited 3G service until Sprint brings 4G LTE to your area.

As mentioned, Sprint is currently the only carrier offering unlimited data plans to new customers for the iPhone 5. Other carriers will let you remain "grandfathered in" on an old unlimited plan, but new iPhone customers will be out of luck.

That's a big advantage for Sprint as a carrier and a big deal for consumers, since the iPhone 5 is Apple's first 4G-capable phone. If they're not careful, users on limited AT&T and Verizon plans could suck their data buckets dry and incur unexpected overage fees.

For the iPhone 5, all Sprint plans come with unlimited data and text messaging. All that's left to choose is talk time, with options for 450 or 900 anytime minutes at $79.99 and $99.99 a month, respectively. Unlimited talk goes for $109.99.

Perhaps Sprint can be so liberal with the offers of unlimited data because its 4G coverage is rather limited, compared to its competitors. Sprint launched its LTE network a little over two years ago, but major U.S. cities such as New York City, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles are still without 4G service.

However, customers in the regions of Baltimore, Atlanta, Kansas City and parts of Texas are in luck.

They live in the in areas of the U.S. that actually have 4G Sprint service right now. For them, the iPhone 5 on Sprint is a great deal.

Sprint's website says that 4G will come to other regions of the U.S. "in the coming months," but has not released any hard dates. TechRadar has reached out to Sprint for a timeline on its 4G rollout and we will update this article when we receive a response.

Of course, just because you don't have 4G doesn't mean you're not using the latest iOS 6 Apple toy. Still, it's rather irksome to think that you'll pay the same monthly bill as a customer in Atlanta or Dallas who's enjoying 4G speeds.

However, FaceTime over cellular service, which has become a major point of contention for AT&T and Verizon, is far more straightforward with Sprint. Sprint customers will be able to FaceTime over 3G and 4G at no additional cost, without being forced into shared data plans.

There's a lot to like about the iPhone 5 on Sprint, and a lot to dislike, especially if you live in the parts of the U.S. without its 4G service.

We like that Sprint's plans are easy to understand, and that they come with unlimited data, text messaging and FaceTime over cellular. We don't like how limited Sprint's 4G coverage area is, and the fact that 3G customers will pay the same rate as those with 4G.

You're basically choosing between unlimited data with Sprint, or 4G speeds with AT&T or Verizon, unless you live in those lucky parts of the U.S. with Sprint 4G, in which case you can have it all.

Be sure to read TechRadar's complete review of the iPhone 5.

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Review: iPhone 5 (AT&T) review

The arrival of Apple's latest and greatest, the iPhone 5, brings about two dilemmas: First, how to cope with that infamously underperforming Maps app, and second, which carrier to choose.

AT&T has a reputation for having a hole or two in its coverage net. Additionally, the carrier is not allowing FaceTime calls over cellular unless customers sign up for a shared data plan (which has all of your AT&T devices pulling from the same allotment of data), making a switch to Verizon or Sprint tempting.

However, sticking with AT&T does have its advantages. Perhaps you're grandfathered in for an unlimited data plan from the early iPhone days, or maybe you just want to use data and voice at the same time - an exclusive feature of AT&T's GSM network.

Well, AT&T customers, should you stay or should you go now?

The good news is that AT&T's LTE is as fast as advertised, and achieves true 4G speeds. Downloads on an iPhone 5 were blazingly fast, when compared head to head with an iPhone 4S in midtown Manhattan.

It was advertised that LTE would be faster than WiFi in some cases. In our tests, this was only partially true. Granted, the average download speed of 10Mbps of the iPhone 5 on LTE was much faster than the 6Mbps produced on the iPhone 4S on HSPA+, but the former was still crushed by a personal WiFi network with 20Mbps download bandwidth.

Uploads were a different story. Again, the iPhone 5's 6 Mbps easily bested the iPhone 4S's paltry 1Mbps. As for a home network, it too could only do a little over 1Mbps uploads.

Many have stated that AT&T's LTE speeds lag behind Verizon's, despite the smaller coverage footprint (though not by some super significant degree). While such claims are largely anecdotal at this point, and results will vary block by block in almost any circumstance, one can't ignore the advantage that AT&T has long enjoyed over both Verizon and Sprint: the ability to talk and surf the web at the same time.

It's a feature that AT&T is justifiably proud off, and remains a serious source of frustration for the other side. After all, there are more than a few Android handsets on Verizon and Sprint that can allow both functions simultaneously. For many, it's the sole reason stay with AT&T.

When it comes to paying for such coverage, AT&T users have reason to be upset and confused.

Individual plans start at $39.99 a month for 450 daytime minutes, plus 5000 nights and weekend minutes. On the opposite end of the spectrum is an unlimited plan that has all the daytime, nighttime and weekend talk time that you could want for $69.99. Add $20.00 for unlimited texts.

When it comes to individual data plans, $20.00 will get you a paltry 300MB, with each additional 300MBs worth of data at the same rate. Most new customers will likely gravitate towards the $30.00 a month rate for 3GB, with an additional $10 per GB. Next you have 5GB plus a Mobile Hotspot option for $50.00, which also charges $10 per each additional GB consumed.

But remember, FaceTime over cellular is only available if you sign up for a Mobile Share plan. The baseline package is $85.00, which includes unlimited voice and messaging, but only 1GB worth of data. The plan also only covers just a single line; each additional (up to 10) is $45 a month per iPhone or $10 per iPad.

There's also a $110 per month plan that serves 4GB worth of shared data, with additional lines costing $40, and a $125 per month plan, with additional lines costing $35.00. Not exactly a bargain on any account.

The iPhone 5 experience on AT&T is by no means perfect. At the very least, it beats the 4S or any previous iPhone. 4G LTE speeds deliver as advertised.

Still, many longtime AT&T users eager for a change might be tempted by Verizon, particularly the offer of FaceTime sans WiFi and shared data plan, and a much larger LTE footprint. Sprint is a contender as well, and provides much easier to swallow plans, though its coverage is not nearly as wide as the other guys.

As is, it's hard to recommend that AT&T users to stay put, but its one ace in the hole - the ability to maintain a voice call and surf the Internet at the same time - can't be dismissed. Even those with the greatest incentive to leave, i.e. the desire to conduct FaceTime over cellular without being forced into a shared plan, may still want to stay.

Be sure to read TechRadar's complete review of the iPhone 5.

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Facebook 'headhunts Apple iPhone engineers' to build smartphone

The engineers are part of a team working on Facebook’s third attempt to build a smartphone, for release by next year, The New York Times said, citing unnamed multiple sources.

The first attempt, in 2010, was scrapped when the firm realised the difficulty it would face turning itself from a software developer into a hardware maker. Another effort, in cooperation with the Taiwanese smartphone firm HTC and codenamed “Buffy”, is still under development.

With its new, hand-picked smartphone engineers, Facebook is now reportedly going “deeper into the process, by expanding the group working on Buffy, and exploring other smartphone projects too, creating a team of seasoned hardware engineers who have built the devices before”.

The migration of web users to smartphones and tablets was named in Facebook’sn regulatory filings for its recent flotation as one of the main threats facing it as a business. It currently makes no meaningful revenue from mobile app users, who are growing in number more rapidly than traditional website users.

Meanwhile the smartphone market remains dominated by Apple, which has integrated Twitter into iOS, and devices running Android, a mobile operating system created by Google, Facebook’s main advertising rival on the web.

“Mark [Zuckerberg] is worried that if he doesn’t create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms,” a Facebook employee told the New York Times.

The firm is reportedly aiming to keep its latest smartphone effort as secret as possible, by headhunting individuals rather than advertising vacancies on the team. Facebook has seemingly learned from its 2010 experience and is focused on recruiting hardware specialists.

A Facebook spokesman said: “We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers.”

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Android extends lead over Apple iPhone

Google's free mobile operating system was installed on 64.1 per cent of smarphones sold worldwide in the second quarter, compared to 43.4 per cent a year ago to, according to Gartner, the industry analysts.

It benefitted from the declines of Symbian, Nokia’s largely abandoned smartphone operating system, and of RIM. BlackBerry’s market share was more than halved from 11.7 per cent to 5.2 per cent on the year.

Apple’s smartphone operating system market share in the second quarter was meanwhile 18.8 per cent, up slightly from 18.2 per cent a year ago. Gartner said iOS users appeared to be holding off purchasing a new device before the expected introduction of the iPhone 5 in September.

Microsoft’s slow response to the smartphone boom continued, with Windows Mobile growing from 1.6 per cent to 2.7 per cent.

On the manufacturing side, Apple and Samsung maintained their rivalry ahead of other players such as HTC and Huawei.

“Samsung and Apple continued to dominate the smartphone market, together taking about half the market share, and widening the gap to other manufacturers,” said analyst Anshul Gupta.

“No other smartphone vendors had share close to 10 per cent.”

The leading pair are currently locked in a high-stakes court battle in the United States, trading accusations of patent infringement.

Samsung did particularly well out of the Galaxy SIII, which exceeded expectations. It extended its lead as the world’s biggest maker of smartphones and feature phones, with overall sales up almost 30 per cent on a year ago and a market share of 21.6 per cent.

By comparison Apple, which does not compete in the less-profitable feature phone market, had a 6.9 per cent share of the overall mobile phone market, up from 4.6 per cent.

Despite such success and the continuing boom in the smartphone sector, where 42.7 per cent more devices were sold compared to a year ago, the total mobile phone market declined by 2.3 per cent to 419 million units. Gartner attributed the slip to the economic crisis, as well as product launch cycles.

“Thee challenging economic environment and users postponing upgrades to take advantage of high-profile device launches and promotions available later in the year slowed demand across markets,” said Mr Gupta.

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Hands-on review: Updated: iPhone 5

The Apple iPhone 5 is finally here, with the latest arrival boasting a 16:9, 4-inch screen, new smaller port, thinner, lighter design and 4G LTE.

Last year's iPhone 4S always felt like an incremental upgrade rather than a true step change, and although it sold wonderfully for Apple and brought some interesting additions, few would argue against the suggestion that it opened the door for competitors.

As a result, this year's launch was perhaps most important for Apple since the very first iPhone arrived back in 2007.

For anyone following the iPhone 5 rumours over the past year, the iPhone 5 will not bring any major surprises, with many of the new features expected – including the new dimensions and the improved A6 chip.

The iPhone 5's camera is smaller, hardier and enhanced by the more powerful chip, and the front-facing camera is bumped up to a 720p version. Wi-Fi is improved and the inclusion of 4G is a must have in the current phone world.

But it is the size, design and shape that will win the most admiring glances. The all glass and aluminium chassis can claim to be the thinnest smartphone, at 7.6mm 'thin'.

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The 4-inch screen keeps the retina resolution despite the added length, which Apple has brought in to make the iPhone 5 more movie-friendly.

The added real-estate is welcome, especially given the growth of its rivals, and apps will apparently be easy to move onto the new screen size for developers.

In the hand the Apple iPhone 5 certainly feels comfortable. You can see why Apple decided to keep the width the same, since it fits the hand nicely – just as its predecessors have.

The most relevant comparison for many is with its predecessor the iPhone 4S and, for those on the now common two year contracts, the iPhone 4.

The new phone certainly feels different – and although there will be the odd naysayer, the overwhelming majority will feel that the iPhone 5's design is a good step on from the now ageing chassis of both the 4S and 4.

The move away from glass is a welcome one, and the aluminium manages to bring a premium feel in a notable lighter device.

A new chip definitely brings a snappier feel. Many people with an iPhone 4 will be all too used to the lagginess when trying to do anything even slightly complex with the devices, and the Apple iPhone 5 manages to take things on as far as you would expect in more than two years.

What is perhaps more suprising is just how much snappier this feels than the iPhone 4S. The A6 chip clearly has a significant amount more grunt under its smaller hood – but what is surprising is that you can immediately tell when you use the device alongside its predecessor.

Practically speaking, this probably isn't enough to make you want to leave a 4S unless you are a hardcore fan, but it will convince many iPhone 4 users to stick with the Apple ecosystem for another generation – and you get the impression that this is goal number one for the company.

The added length could have made the phone unwieldy, but the loss of thickness ensures that it maintains its balance and premium feel.

Those people who have got used to the iPhone 4 and 4S will certainly notice the difference that the new iPhone 5 design brings. It served to make the device feel more modern, and the materials used keep that premium feel that Apple has put so much stock in.

Thinner, lighter and more screen were always on the cards, and the fans' desires are understandable.

The aluminium backplate feels lovely – just textured enough to feel very different from its predecessors and, to our taste, preferable to the glass.

The iPhone 5 screen is bright and colourful, although it's difficult to truly appreciate the small upgrade that Apple has made in the bright lights of the show room.

The camera is also more difficult to test properly, but it certainly seemed faster to take a photo, something that can be a frustration on older iPhones.

From a software perspective, iOS 6 brings with it a wealth of new features that will certainly make a major difference to not only the way the iPhone 5 feels, but also its predecessors the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S when they get the updated software.

Maps, for instance, is significantly altered after Apple ended its longstanding agreement to use Google Maps and pushed forward with its own offering, in conjunction with sat nav giant TomTom.

The new maps certainly look the part, with some beautiful 3D renders and snazzy looking new vector graphics. We really want to take some time to tell you just how well the new offering performs in the wild, when we get a handset in for our full iPhone 5 review, coming soon.

The showcased flyover mode was great for the riverside of London, but as you would expect fell flat pretty quickly once you left the tourist districts and got to residential areas.

Early indications elsewhere are good, however, as the 'Apple designed' tag is pushed to the fore. The tilt and rotate view functionality looks gorgeous, and the turn-by-turn navigation is likely to attract plaudits with a simple and intuitive interface.

Siri has been given a major, and frankly much-needed, overhaul with the voice 'companion' functionality extended into new languages and new territories in an attempt to turn the iPhone 4S's overhyped and under-featured personal assistant up to a useful level.

It coped better with the noise of the press room than its predecessor – presumably due to the new microphone set up in the new iPhone 5, and could answer the two or three stock questions we asked it.

Given the obsession with Facebook, the need for better integration was a key addition for Apple in its latest operating system, and the iPhone 5 and its older brothers will benefit from a major overhaul of the way in which the social network links up with your handset.

The Facebook (and Twitter) functionality feels much more central to the experience this time around, and having the ability to post from the notifications screen feels like an obvious inclusion that works well.

Given the level of hype around the Apple iPhone 5, it's almost inevitable that phone itself ends up feeling a little underwhelming when it is launched, but Apple is a past master at ticking the boxes, and giving its growing legion of fans enough to justify an upgrade.

Is it going to sell like hot-cakes? Of course. Will it send shockwaves shuddering through the tech world and turn competitors back to their drawing boards? No.

Not having NFC is a real misstep, as it would have made the Passbook application in iOS 6 much better (and in keeping with its Android and Windows Phone rivals) and it certainly would have been nice to see something remarkable in addition to some nice, but not startling, upgrades.

But, in truth, Apple will be well aware that it doesn't need to reinvent the wheel to succeed and, in this case, it has yet again provided a fine phone that will keep it battling at the top of the charts for another year.

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What the new iPhone has to live up to

Apple is busy preparing for a much-hyped announcement on September 12. You’ve probably already heard about this announcement, and how it’s likely to be the big reveal of the new iPhone 5. In fact, at this point, you’ve probably already seen dozens of images of the convention center being decorated in anticipation of the event. While the next few weeks are sure to be full of iPhone-related news, there’s plenty more happening in mobile right now (with recent announcements from Samsung, Nokia, Motorola, and Amazon). If you’re curious as to how these competitor handsets stack up against the Apple heavyweight, then just read below to take a gander at all the features the crowd favorite from Cupertino currently lacks.

The Motorola Razr Maxx HD has an incredibly long battery life.

One of the major complaints iPhone owners have is the devices’ less-than-awesome battery life—and it’s a valid grievance. With a petite 1,432mAh battery, the iPhone 4S can only play around four hours of video before you’ll need to start scrambling for a power outlet. Compare that to other devices such as the new Droid Razr Maxx HD, which has a 3,300mAh battery and will give you up to ten hours of streaming video on a charge, and there's plenty of room for Apple to improve. Almost every other competing handset has a more bad-ass battery than the iPhone: Nokia’s new Lumia 920 will have a 2,000mAh battery, Samsung’s Galaxy S III has 2,100mAh worth of power, and the newly announced ATIV S will feature a 2,300mAh battery. While a bigger iPhone 5 would give Apple the opportunity to pack in a bigger battery, there are already phones available that will last a day or two before needing a recharge.

Personally, I have yet to hit the storage limit on my iPhone 4S—and I am not by any means judicious in my usage—so in all likelihood the 64GB limit on Apple’s handset should be plenty for most of us. If you buy an iPhone with less storage space and find that it's not enough for you, you're really out of luck. Both Nokia and Samsung have released competing handsets that feature the expandable storage in the form of microSD; Samsung’s ATIV S and Galaxy S III come in 16- or 32-GB models, plus have expandable storage capabilities. (Galaxy S III expansion is dependent upon carrier.) Nokia included microSD in their Lumia 820 (while the 920 has 32GB worth of storage, it does not have expandable storage). So, if you’re taking a long trip and want to bring more music, want more space to hold photos and videos, or would prefer to keep all your travel apps on a separate microSD card, there are smartphones suited for that, but we don't expect Apple to head down this road.

While Android users can take advantage of push notifications to notify them of a new email (or, really, almost any other event of their choosing), and Windows Phone users have the slick live tiles that update instantly and convey information at a glance, iPhone users are still lacking a fully functional way to get their smartphones to notify them. While iOS 5 introduced a push notification capability, it’s only available on specific apps that utilize the feature, and is far from customizable. While this may seem like a small thing to gripe about, there is a distinct advantage to being able to view expanded information about Tweets, emails, photos, social networks, and updates as they happen live, without opening up an app. With Windows Phone's live tiles or Android's widgets, you get more than a little number telling you how many unread emails or new calendar appointments you have, you actually see what they are. The current notification system in iOS seems a little antiquated by comparison.

The Nokia Lumia 920 boasts some impressive camera technology.

Even after the kerfuffle over the marketing of the Lumia 920’s camera capabilities, it still blew every other handset out of the water when tested in nighttime conditions—and that's saying something. Nokia has a history of pushing the boundaries of what smartphone cameras can do (the 41 megapixel Nokia 808 being a prime example), and the Lumia proudly follows in that tradition with a 8.7 megapixel main camera that uses floating lens image stabilization technology that is the first of its kind on a phone. While the iPhone 4S is considered to have a stellar camera, it is certainly no longer alone in this category. Most of the major contenders are also rocking the same 8 megapixel count in their main cameras, and feature a higher megapixel count in their front cameras than the iPhone 4S (which has a measly VGA front-facing camera). Add to the spec race proprietary features and technology, such as those seen on the Lumia 920, and the iPhone 4S's stellar camera is just another fish in the sea. Apple needs to make serious improvements to keep pace.

The Samsung Ativ ships with Windows 8 and a sizable screen.

As it turns out, people really do like having big screens on their smartphones. While Apple hasn’t updated the iPhone’s screen size in….ever, most of the best-selling smartphones released in the last year have had screens measuring 4.3-inches or larger, and the trend continues. The new Samsung Galaxy Note 2, for instance, has a 5.5-inch display, while the company’s ATIV S and Galaxy S III handsets both feature 4.8-inch screens. That increased screen real estate comes in handy while watching videos and playing games, and provides a better mobile browsing experience since you don’t have to zoom in and out to view websites’ content. Perhaps most importantly, a larger screen means a larger on-screen keyboard, which improves typing speed and accuracy.

While there are rumors aplenty that Apple's new iPhone will have a larger display, at this point the Cupertino company is just playing catch-up to Windows and Android phone makers, as even budget phones such as the Motorola Razr M have high resolution displays that are comparable to the highly touted Retina Display featured on the iPhone 4 and 4S. While the iPhone still delivers a high pixel-per-inch count (at 326ppi on a 960 x 640 resolution screen), it is quickly being matched by competitors such as the new Lumia 920 (332 pixels-per-inch on a 1280 x 768 resolution screen).

Although Nokia has long been a proponent of Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and Samsung has been touting the NFC capabilities of its new Galaxy S III in its commercials, NFC hasn’t entirely found its niche in the mobile world. While the majority of Android- and Windows-based phones being released all feature some NFC-enabled capabilities (see the Lumia 920, HTC One X and Samsung ATVI S), it is unlikely that Apple will include NFC on the new iPhone, as the company is likely to wait and see if there is any value in the technology first. So, if you’d like to swipe your phone to pay for coffee or board a train, or if you’d like to share photos by tapping devices, then you’re going to need an Android or Windows phone.

The HTC One X has a dual-core processor in the U.S., but ships running on a quad-core processor overseas.

Quad-core phones are already available overseas, and it's only a matter of time (read: three to four months) before they show up on our shores. Specs may not mean much to the average person buying a smartphone, but they have an effect on the types of things you will be able to do on your mobile phone going forward. Having a stout quad-core processor can mean the difference between running complex programs on your phone and dealing with a phone that starts to lag the minute you load up a resource heavy app.

Since most Android phones in the United States currently have dual-core processors, and with Windows Phones are still stuck on a single core (with dual-core phones coming in WIndows Phone 8 this fall), there's a chance for Apple to beat the competition in the specs race by releasing its next iPhone with a quad-core processor. A quad-core iPhone would be a marketing force to be reckoned with and would seem to put the iPhone ahead of the smartphone pack in terms of power and overall performance. The downside of quad-core processors, however, is that they don't have integrated radios compatible with LTE networks in the United States. Which brings us to our next point...

Out of the four major carriers, three have blazing fast LTE networks that make us wonder how we ever survived on 3G speeds. Most high-end smartphones released in the last year are LTE-compatible, giving people the ability to do things like stream HD movies and download apps in mere seconds. While Apple's next iPhone will most likely be LTE-compatible, it will be latecomer to a game that's currently dominated by various Android and Windows Phone devices. To stand out, the new iPhone would need more robust international LTE support or higher data speeds than the best of the rest.

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