I appreciate the explanation. It does make me scratch my head. I mean, smart phones are on a faster cycle than laptops are and yet nobody seems to complain about the FFC cert process for those. It seems to me something else is going on here. I am having a hard time accepting that the FCC cert process is the only reason laptops don’t have cellular radio in them.
It may have more to do with a semi-conspiracy that laptop sellers feel their sales of tablets and smart phones might take a hit once people could use their laptops for the same functions. I think it is a GREED thing.
But what do I know. All I know is I would pay another $500 easy for any given laptop to have cell capability. You would think laptop makers would be drooling over that kind of profit margin. Add a cell receiver, mark up $500, and profit.
No, I'm pretty sure it's the FCC thing. The issue is the FCC requires the entire widget must be submitted for certification which can take up to six months for complex electronic devices. During that time anything in your device can be leaked to the public, read competition, who may not be installing a cellular phone in it and add those features to there products.
When the iPhone was first released the FCC had a production prototype from January 9th 2007, until mid June before final certs were issued. . . because it was Apple's first cellular phone. . . and stuff did leak out. These new MacBook Pros have processors in them that are just now being released. Adding six months to the release date, moving it into January 2019, to add a cellular capability is not a good idea. Other makers would get a huge advantage in selling their models sans cellular with these processors.