The iPhone 5, which was launched in South Africa last month, won’t connect to MTN and Vodacom networks until Apple has completed its own testing of the networks and is satisfied that they meet the requirements. However, the phone has the necessary hardware to support the fourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) networks being built by MTN and Vodacom, according to TechCentral.
Apparently, “the increased level of control on Apple’s part may stem, at least in part, from the antenna-gate debacle it faced with the iPhone 4, where many users and critics lambasted the company for poor call quality caused by problems with the antenna in the phone. At the time, Apple tried to shift the blame to network operators, with mixed success’.
A South African industry insider said that Apple’s vetting process could take about eight weeks, suggesting local users should see the update before the end of February. MTN and Vodacom are not prepared to commit to a timeframe.
