Is AT&T limiting the data speed of the iPhone? No.

Jordan Golson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:07:37 -0700

Apple watchers over at 9to5Mac noted a discrepancy between the technical specs on the iPhone and competing smartphones on the AT&T website.

The iPhone specs claim the phone can reach up to 1.4 Mbps download speed. The Moto Q, on the other hand, claims a maximum speed of 3.6 Mbps. What's the deal?

An AT&T spokesman told us "the 3.6 speed for the Q is the maximum technical peak speed for the device. The 1.4 is an observed speed that 3G phones can achieve – there is no limit put in place by us. The speed results from a combination of factors, which include battery life, backhaul and general congestion on the network."

As far as we know, the iPhone has the same theoretical peak speed, but 1.4 Mbps is a more realistic limit. AT&T has probably never had a product as maticuliously over-analyzed as the iPhone, but they seem to be getting used to handling Apple fans forensic-like interest.