Verizon CEO Is The Guy To Thank For LTE On The iPhone

Are you using LTE on the iPhone yet? I’ve been on the iPhone 4 for a couple of years now, and I am still waiting for the right time (read: my contract to end) to get the iPhone 5. While rumors abound that the iPhone 5S is on its way, I don’t think there are enough compelling reasons to wait longer for it to officially actually get to my part of the world. In any case, one of the main things going for  the iPhone 5 is that I want to be able to maximize my unlimited mobile data package, which is rather useless with the state of 3G in most areas I frequent these days. For those who have enjoyed LTE speeds on their iPhones, I suppose you’re thanking the gods for it.

And in case you are actually wondering who is responsible for getting the LTE on the iPhone, wonder no more! According to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, it was he who convinced the late Steve Jobs to consider adding LTE to the magical phone. (Oh, wait! That adjective was used for another iDevice!)

In a blog entry by Husain Sumra of MacRumors, McAdam is quoted as saying:

“I was really trying to sell him and he sat there without any reaction. Finally, he said, ‘Enough. You had me at 10 Mbps. I know you can stream video at 10 Mbps.’ And Apple’s next phone was LTE.”

“He” obviously being Steve Jobs.

While no additional supporting details have been disclosed – such as when this conversation happened and if Steve Jobs really took the LTE idea from that – the first LTE-enabled iPhone (5) was released about a year after McAdams was appointed CEO of Verizon.

LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution and is a standard for high speed wireless communication. Based on the GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA network technologies, LTE basically bumps up the speed of data immensely – as those using it will attest to. Considered the natural evolution this line of technology, LTE is now the buzzword for phone manufactures; well, “LTE-enabled” might be more accurate.

Want an LTE device but maybe not the iPhone? Other choices are: BlackBerry Z10, HTC One, LG Optimus G, Nokia Lumia 820, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE, and Samsung Galaxy S IV.

[Image via Cult of Mac]