Mfarhanonline Social Media News: If you download iOS 5.1 onto your AT&T iPhone 4S, you’ll notice something new — your phone now has 4G. Or at least, that’s what it claims. Let’s be clear: iOS 5.1 does nothing to change the speed of your handset’s data connection. But it does mark the end of an ongoing discussion between AT&T and Apple on whether the phone’s service could in fact be labeled "4G." And it gives iPhone owners bragging rights when arguing with Android owners. AT&T has been working behind the scenes with Apple on this question since the launch of the iPhone 4S. The phone has always been able to connect to AT&T’s HSDPA network (where it’s available). HSDPA stands for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access. For all intents and purposes, it offers an enhanced version of 3G data. The technology is primarily used in Europe. AT&T also offers HSDPA in a number of metropolitan areas in the US. AT&T says its HSDPA speeds count 4G. According to the International Telecommunications Union, however, HSDPA is not a fourth-generation network. It’s more like 3.5G. SEE ALSO: What is 4G? An FAQ on Next Generation Wireless HSDPA has a potential downlink capability of 14.4Mbps. It’s a technology related to GSM (the type of network that AT&T runs on). Since Verizon and Sprint run on CDMA, they do not offer HSDPA connectivity. That means its data speeds could be slower in some places than the AT&T version of the same phone. Despite the potential speed difference, phones on all three carriers showed 3G in the status bar when connected to data networks — until Wednesday, that is. Adding the 4G designation on the AT&T version of the iPhone 4S gives the company at the least a marketing advantage over its competition. SEE ALSO: iPhone 4S: Should You Choose AT&T,! Verizon , or Sprint? It’s important to note that 4G is much different than LTE, the much faster data network that will be used by the new iPad. IOS 5.1 also contains some bug fixes and brings Japanese language support for Siri. Have any of you downloaded iOS 5.1 on your iPhone? Were you surprised to see the 4G indicator appear on your phone? Let us know in the comments. More About: apple , iOS 5.1 , iPhone 4S , trending For more Mobile coverage: Follow Mfarhanonline Mobile on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Mobile channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad Social Media reviews series maintain by Mayya
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