Nokia to support all types of 4G tech
Finns believe there's a future for LTE and WiMAX
Nokia has announced that it doesn't plan to favour one 4G format over another in the near future, despite planning an LTE device in the coming year.
The discontinuation of the Nokia N810 WiMAX internet tablet prompted some in the industry to think it was curtains for the Finns' association with that standard, but it seems that it will happily lie in bed with both for the time being.
Nokia contacted Engadget to say that the discontinuation of the N810 "does not apply to other WiMAX business development efforts that Nokia is involved in", which shows there's still interest for the time being.
What it also shows is that the industry does not consider the two formats as direct competitors in the future, with LTE taking on the mantel from 3G on phones, and WiMAX acting as a successor to localised Wi-Fi.
And the winner is...
While it's conceivable that the one standard could win out over the other as mobile broadband takes precedence on handsets, the short term future is likely to be different standards for different devices, much how Wi-Fi and 3G happily live together on many phones.
Nokia also used the chat with Engadget to put to bed rumours of a 4G handset with Verizon in the US, something that would have likely made its way over to the UK with Vodafone should it have come to fruition, in the same manner as the BlackBerry Bold:
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"While we have not entered into any exclusive agreement for 4G touchscreen device development as is being reported, we will continue to follow and pursue developments as a normal course of business."
So while whizz-bang fast internet is coming via your mobile, the path it will take is definitely not set just yet.
Via Engadget
Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grew with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.