UK carrier EE has confirmed it's upgrading its 2G network to 4G to give an overall boost to its mobile internet speeds, and it could be because of the iPhone 8 (or iPhone X as it's looking more likely to be called).
EE already boasts some of the fastest mobile network speeds in the UK, with widespread support for CAT 9 devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S8, Galaxy S7 and iPhone 7 Plus with theoretical download speeds of over 400Mbps.
However, its latest move will see the introduction of CAT 12 support, giving us a potential insight into the capabilities of the yet to be announced iPhone X that would make it Apple's fastest ever iPhone.
Ready for next-gen smartphones
The really interesting part is the revelation that “600 EE sites [are] being upgraded to support next generation ‘CAT 12’ smartphones set to hit the UK market in 2017.”
Now we're fast approaching the end of the year, with only a few high profile launches left.
While EE could be preparing itself for the arrival of the Google Pixel 2 or Huawei Mate 10, tomorrow's iPhone 8 launch is the one in our mind as it's this handset which will have the widest appeal.
The timing of the announcement does seem to be convenient considering Apple's Special Event is on September 12, but EE customers with the new iPhone may have to wait before they're able to take advantage of the improved speeds.
EE says "more than 600 sites across cities including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Cardiff, will be upgraded with the latest 4G spectrum over the next six months."
We'll be reporting live from the iPhone 8 launch in Cupertino, so stay tuned to TechRadar to find out if the new iPhones are the fastest ever.
