AT&T's iPhone 4S to have/read "4G"

[RotaryP7]

Don't know if it's been posted or anything but AT&T's 4S will have 4G once AT&T releases that new service in those cities. It's probably not real 4G but instead of saying 3G, once this thing is in your area, the iPhone 4S will read "4G" ..

This is coming from an AT&T rep. Just figured I'd let you guys know. It's supposed to be released throughout the whole US Q4. So before 2012. Take that for what it's worth.

 

[alphaod]

It was news a while back and AT&T is getting Apple to do this, and I hope Apple doesn't. HSPA+ is not 4G. At most maybe 3.75G

 

[RotaryP7]

It was news a while back and AT&T is getting Apple to do this, and I hope Apple doesn't. HSPA+ is not 4G. At most maybe 3.75G

Ah, never heard of this. I agree. Having it read 4G when it's actually just 3G+ is BS. It will never reach those real 4G LTE speeds so why lie?

 

[taedouni]

Why do people say that HPSA+ is not 4G but that LTE is 4G?

It pisses me off when people do that...The requirement for 4G is 100Mega bits per second.....

Anyway I would actually appreciate the new change. That way at least I know when i'm officially in and out of HPSA+ territory .

 

[Pooshka]

Apple will not agree to this crazy request.

Why not? Simple:

When iPhone 5 is out next year with support for 4G/LTE, what would AT&T's version say then? The same 4G thing only to confuse your average consumer's thinking that it's same as iPhone 4S + different design? I don't think so.

 

[RotaryP7]

Apple will not agree to this crazy request.

Why not? Simple:

When iPhone 5 is out next year with support for 4G/LTE, what would AT&T's version say then? The same 4G thing only to confuse your average consumer's thinking that it's same as iPhone 4S + different design? I don't think so.

It should read something like 3G+ or whatnot. I'd like at least some type of difference than the usual 3G. I'm sure most would like to know when they're in a area where HSPA+ is supported.

 

[alphaod]

Why do people say that HPSA+ is not 4G but that LTE is 4G?

HSPA+ can only be called 4G if it reaches the prescribed speeds, latency, etc. as required per the 3GPP LTE specifications which at this point it does not.

And why does it piss you off?

 

[MisterDisney]

It should just be a 3G+...

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Why do people say that HPSA+ is not 4G but that LTE is 4G?

It pisses me off when people do that...The requirement for 4G is 100Mega bits per second.....

4G is what the carriers make it. HSPA+ is faster than WiMax in a lot of areas, and WiMax has been called 4G for a while now. In some areas AT&T HSPA+ is beating Verizon LTE real-world speeds in a given market, so how is it right to call LTE 4G but not HSPA+?

The phone currently doesn't indicate anything for HSPA+, still says "3G" (which is just as much inaccurate as saying 4G by most standards). I would like to see it indicate "H+". Then if an LTE phone comes out, that one can indicate "LTE".

 

[rjohnstone]

4G is what the carriers make it. HSPA+ is faster than WiMax in a lot of areas, and WiMax has been called 4G for a while now. In some areas AT&T HSPA+ is beating Verizon LTE real-world speeds in a given market, so how is it right to call LTE 4G but not HSPA+?

The phone currently doesn't indicate anything for HSPA+, still says "3G" (which is just as much inaccurate as saying 4G by most standards). I would like to see it indicate "H+". Then if an LTE phone comes out, that one can indicate "LTE".

Just about every Android 4G (HSPA+) phone I've seen uses H+, not 4G as the indicator.
I think it would be reasonable for Apple to use this symbol on the 4S.
H+ is a more accurate description of the service anyway.

 

[DblHelix]

I used a Pre3 for a while and it says H+. Also, although most consider WiMax and LTE 4G they are not. The 4G spec calls for 100M for a stationary object (read a computer at home or even a laptop) and 1G for a mobile device. We are far from this still.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I used a Pre3 for a while and it says H+. Also, although most consider WiMax and LTE 4G they are not. The 4G spec calls for 100M for a stationary object (read a computer at home or even a laptop) and 1G for a mobile device. We are far from this still.

What you are describing is "IMT-Advanced", which calls for up to 100Mbps for a moving object, and up to 1Gbps for a stationary. ITU (who administers the standards) last year stated that LTE, WiMax, and other solutions could be considered 4G if they had a "substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed."

http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2010/48.aspx

 

[George Knighton]

4G is what the carriers make it. HSPA+ is faster than WiMax in a lot of areas, and WiMax has been called 4G for a while now. In some areas AT&T HSPA+ is beating Verizon LTE real-world speeds in a given market, so how is it right to call LTE 4G but not HSPA+?

The phone currently doesn't indicate anything for HSPA+, still says "3G" (which is just as much inaccurate as saying 4G by most standards). I would like to see it indicate "H+". Then if an LTE phone comes out, that one can indicate "LTE".

Yeah, I think that is the gist of it.

If we are going to call slow LTE "4G" but relegate decently performing (in real world tests) HSPA+ to a label of "3G" then AT&T is going to lose a marketing war.

I don't care what it's called, really, because people need to go out of the way to do the research before they decide whether they want AT&T or Verizon. Happens all the time that people spend hundreds of dollars on something they're not satisfied with, and I'll never figure it out.

And data speeds don't matter if you cannot make a voice call every place you normally live, work and travel.

But people buy things they cannot use all the time. I'll never understand.

AT&T suits me for what I do, and I know their data is faster. I'm sticking with them for the time being inasmuch as it's the clearly logical choice, and I don't care if they call it 3G or 4G because I know it is faster.

 

[SirStrumalot]

I don't really care whether it says "3G+" or 4G, but I'd really like for some sort of distinction so I can tell what type of speeds I can expect in a particular area.

 

[RotaryP7]

Well.. Better late than never I guess?

 

[ZBoater]

That 4G makes my phone "feel" faster. It's like installing a cold air intake on my Jeep. It's called "seat of the pants" horsepower...

BTW, if you are sarcasm challenged, please ignore this post...

 

[Hastings101]

I wish they'd done a 3G+ icon or something instead. The 4G annoys me because I know it's not 4G lol

 

[fr3nch13]

4g

Just noticed that after upgrading my iPhone 4S last night I am getting the 4G icon. I am in Syracuse, NY.

 

[dave420]

I wish they'd done a 3G+ icon or something instead. The 4G annoys me because I know it's not 4G lol

I can certainly understand that. Did they just change the 3G icon to a 4G icon? Has anyone seen a 3G icon on an AT&T 4S since the 5.1 upgrade?

 

[diamond.g]

I can certainly understand that. Did they just change the 3G icon to a 4G icon? Has anyone seen a 3G icon on an AT&T 4S since the 5.1 upgrade?

I haven't, even in places where my Vita will show 3G instead of H. So I think they replaced the 3G icon in the 4S.

 

[cynics]

4G is what the carriers make it. HSPA+ is faster than WiMax in a lot of areas, and WiMax has been called 4G for a while now. In some areas AT&T HSPA+ is beating Verizon LTE real-world speeds in a given market, so how is it right to call LTE 4G but not HSPA+?

The phone currently doesn't indicate anything for HSPA+, still says "3G" (which is just as much inaccurate as saying 4G by most standards). I would like to see it indicate "H+". Then if an LTE phone comes out, that one can indicate "LTE".

While I'm sure there have been instances of hpsa+ being faster then LTE I've never experienced it.

I use a 4g tablet as a wifi hotspot and the slowest I've seen is around 10 mb down.

Typical is 20 mb down. With obvious peaks.

I think the best I've seen was 70 mb down.

 

[cynics]

Why do people say that HPSA+ is not 4G but that LTE is 4G?

It pisses me off when people do that...The requirement for 4G is 100Mega bits per second.....

Anyway I would actually appreciate the new change. That way at least I know when i'm officially in and out of HPSA+ territory .

While I agree for the most part however its a peak of 100 mb. And I think we can both agree Verizon's LTE gets you MUCH closer to that peak then HPSA+.

Has anyone actually have it say 3G or is it always reading 4G now? That would be my issue with it. On Verizon's network it will show both depending on what you are on. Then the manufacture decides what it reads. Most LTE phones will say "4G LTE" or "LTE" though which is a bit more accurate.

 

[carboncow]

Apple will not agree to this crazy request.

Why not? Simple:

When iPhone 5 is out next year with support for 4G/LTE, what would AT&T's version say then? The same 4G thing only to confuse your average consumer's thinking that it's same as iPhone 4S + different design? I don't think so.

wrong!

 

[trouble747]

I think this is hilarious.

AT&T's data service absolutely sucks in this city (Austin, TX), if you live or work anywhere near downtown or intend to use your phone in any area that tends to have other people in it.

Now my incredibly slow 3G data service has become incredibly slow "4G" data service! Awesome.

 

[Rychy]

I noticed my phone read 4G a little bit ago and thought it was quite strange. Thanks for the explanation.