Japan’s NTT DoCoMo to get 4G LTE iPhone 5 and iPad 3 next year

We have just received iPhone 4S, the latest upgrade to Apple’s flagship smartphone. Rumor mills have now started talking about the next generation iPhone 5 and iPad 3. As per some sources, 4G LTE versions of iPad 3 and iPhone 5 will land in stores respectively in the summer and the fall of next year. The rumors generated from Japan from the reports that the country’s leading cellular service provider NTT DoCoMo would get the new 4G LTE iPhone 5 and iPad 3 from Apple next year.

iPad 3 and iPhone 5

Currently, only Softbank and au/KDDI sell iPhone and iPad in Japan. As per some unconfirmed reports, NTT DoCoMo executives have met Apple CEO Tim Cook to talk about the launch of next generation iPad and iPhone on its network. NTT DoCoMo can certainly make huge revenues if it gets chance to carry iPhone 5 and iPad 3 like its competitors in the country. The number of customers for Apple products is on steady increase in Japan.

Japanese business news service Nikkei Business has firstly surfaced the report that Apple is gearing up for the release of its next generation iPhone 5 and iPad 3 on NTT DoCoMo. Certainly, the rumors sound right because the timeframe for an iPhone 5 and iPad 3 is mentioned properly in the reports. The fall timeframe for a 4G LTE iPhone 5 and summer timeframe for an iPad 3 are exactly possible. The 2011 versions of iPad 2 and iPhone 4S came up in the same periods, meaning that Apple would unveil upgrades to them exactly after one year.

As per reports, NTT DoCoMo’s president Takashi Yamada and vice president Kiyoyuki Tsujimura met Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the matter. As per the conversation, Apple has in principle agreed the request from the carrier’s representatives. Indeed, it is a time Apple is busy expanding networks for its iPhone and iPad. So like in the U.S., Apple recently ended in its exclusive partnership with Softbank by launching an iPhone on au/KDDI. It is akin to ending its exclusive deal with AT&T in the U.S. to release an iPhone on Verizon. Apple has further launched its iPhone 4S on Sprint Nextel and the phone also has a global GSM version.

As part of such attempts, now the Cupertino technology maker is to expand its next generation iPhone to NTT DoCoMo, which boasts of the best 4G LTE service in Japan. It is the same carrier that launched 4G LTE version of Samsung Galaxy S II in Japan. Of course, Apple will be expanding its iPhone network to many carriers across global markets to reach its products to many more customers. It is the way Apple can better take on the challenges from its Android rivals like Samsung.

Via: ZDNet/9to5mac