Apple LTE rumors crop up all the time, but this one in particular has caught our attention: consistently reliable Japanese publication Nikkei Business is reporting that next year's iPhone 5 and iPad 3 will both be LTE 4G beasts. Giddyup.

The report indicates that Apple CEO Tim Cook has already met with executives from Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo to discuss next summer's 4G iPad 3 and next fall's iPhone 5. The timing works out; Japan got the iPad 2 in late April this year, about about six weeks after the US. And with Apple moving to a fall release schedule with the 4S, new iPhones and fall go together like hot fudge and sundaes. But in a broader sense, the timing works for Apple's leap into 4G. Peppy network speeds are quickly becoming table stakes for Android hardware, phones and tablets alike. And while the iPhone 4S trades speed for better battery life, Cupertino simply can't afford another year on the sidelines. [Nikkei Business via MacRumors]