South Korean carrier talking to Apple about iPhone with LTE-Advanced

Apple is reportedly in talks with a South Korean carrier about making its next iPhone compatible with LTE-Advanced, the next-generation network for high-speed data connections.

Samsung became the first phone maker to introduce an LTE-Advanced-compatible smartphone last week when it announced the Galaxy S 4 LTE-A, a variant of its flagship device. That phone is capable of reaching faster Internet speeds than any of its peers.

The GS4 LTE-A will be carried by SK Telecom, and on Monday, the Korea Times reported that the carrier has also approached Apple about the technology. The report says the two companies are in the middle of negotiations, according to an unnamed source.

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SK Telecom reportedly hopes to introduce as many as seven LTE-Advanced devices before the year’s end.

The next iPhone, likely to be called the iPhone 5S, is expected to launch this fall, but in the U.S., it may be a while before Apple makes a smartphone that can connect to LTE-Advanced.

Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint have said they are beginning to look at building LTE-Advanced networks, but in the U.S., most major carriers are still trying to finishing rolling out their LTE networks.

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