5 MB/s in Charlotte, NC on iP4- Kills Sprint 4G

[hbg]

Wow- the iPhone 4 is really fast. I have both the EVO 4G on trial (since launch day so I have had plenty of time to see trends) and the iPhone 4. We're in a Sprint market with 4G and with AT&T having the newer HSDPA. On the iphone 4 I am getting up to 5.1 MB/s in many instances and usually never less than 2.5 MB/s even on launch day at night with everyone on.

By contrast, I've had the EVO two weeks now. The Sprint 4G is highly variable in speed, often being 1.5 MB/s or less. While it sometimes can get to 3 or 4 this is rare and its usually not more than 2 MB. Plus, the speed varies dramatically in the span of a few minutes so it is not stable, whereas the AT&T speed is very stable. Finally, driving around town the Sprint 4G speeds vary dramatically, from nearly 0 to fast, but very unpredictable. On 3G, Sprint 3 here rarely gets above 1.2 MB and is often at 0.6 to 0.8 MB/s- lousy.

Conclusion- At least in Charlotte, NC the Sprint 4G is not really reliable, not really 4G most of the time, and often actually achieving typical 3G or less speeds. AT&T meanwhile, has really turned up the juice and is very, very fast, often at 4G types of speeds.

Any other experiences elsewhere?

 

[xdhd350]

Nice report. Thanks for taking the time to do a decent evaluation in varying conditions.

Another nice thing is we now get wireless N on ip4. I haven't done any speed tests yet, but I know that Dallas is also one of the markets where AT&T has turned on HSPDA as of last November IIRC.

 

[bigred7078]

really? Hm.. I just moved to Charlotte, and the 3G network here seems kinda slow...I just moved from Missouri and it was definitely faster there. I've never done any speed tests like yourself though.

 

[hbg]

really? Hm.. I just moved to Charlotte, and the 3G network here seems kinda slow...I just moved from Missouri and it was definitely faster there. I've never done any speed tests like yourself though.

Which iPhone do you have? For example, the iPhone 3G cannot take advantage of the HSDPA speeds, whereas the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 can. Also, what part of town? By the way, welcome.

 

[bigred7078]

Which iPhone do you have? For example, the iPhone 3G cannot take advantage of the HSDPA speeds, whereas the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 can. Also, what part of town? By the way, welcome.

I had the 3GS and I got the iPhone 4 yesterday. I'm in the 4th ward.

Thanks for the welcome

 

[treyjustice]

i'm about 3.5-4.5 mb/s here in Dallas, Tx

 

[asleep]

You should post a YouTube video!

 

[boatski]

Wow- the iPhone 4 is really fast. I have both the EVO 4G on trial (since launch day so I have had plenty of time to see trends) and the iPhone 4. We're in a Sprint market with 4G and with AT&T having the newer HSDPA. On the iphone 4 I am getting up to 5.1 MB/s in many instances and usually never less than 2.5 MB/s even on launch day at night with everyone on.

By contrast, I've had the EVO two weeks now. The Sprint 4G is highly variable in speed, often being 1.5 MB/s or less. While it sometimes can get to 3 or 4 this is rare and its usually not more than 2 MB. Plus, the speed varies dramatically in the span of a few minutes so it is not stable, whereas the AT&T speed is very stable. Finally, driving around town the Sprint 4G speeds vary dramatically, from nearly 0 to fast, but very unpredictable. On 3G, Sprint 3 here rarely gets above 1.2 MB and is often at 0.6 to 0.8 MB/s- lousy.

Conclusion- At least in Charlotte, NC the Sprint 4G is not really reliable, not really 4G most of the time, and often actually achieving typical 3G or less speeds. AT&T meanwhile, has really turned up the juice and is very, very fast, often at 4G types of speeds.

Any other experiences elsewhere?

I think you mean Mbps (megabits) instead of MBps (megabytes). There's a huge difference.

 

[hbg]

I think you mean Mbps (megabits) instead of MBps (megabytes). There's a huge difference.

You are right!

 

[hbg]

I had the 3GS and I got the iPhone 4 yesterday. I'm in the 4th ward.

Thanks for the welcome

Right now I am at work just a mile from 4th ward on the south side of downtown and getting the 4 to 5 speed. I do note, though, that this is morning when people are at work. I'd be interested to see what it would be tonight when people are at home playing on their iphones and congesting the servers.

 

[Dsking85]

I'm in Raleigh and my connection is pretty fast.

 

[hbg]

Here's a picture from Charlotte right now of the present speed on AT&T 3G

 

[bigred7078]

Right now I am at work just a mile from 4th ward on the south side of downtown and getting the 4 to 5 speed. I do note, though, that this is morning when people are at work. I'd be interested to see what it would be tonight when people are at home playing on their iphones and congesting the servers.

haha whoa...

I just tried it this morning for the first time since yesterday and its REALLY fast. sweet.

P.S.- Did you by chance see the line yesterday at the Apple Store in South Park Mall? Holy Crap... I walked in at 2pm to get a bumper and the line was practically wrapped all around the inside of the mall lol. I pre-ordered at Best Buy made an appointment to pick it up at 8am and was in and out in 20 min.

 

[hbg]

haha whoa...

I just tried it this morning for the first time since yesterday and its REALLY fast. sweet.

That's great. I had the iphone 3GS a while back and I never got these speeds. This was before the new HSDPA (or whatever it is) was rolled out here, which really cranks things up a lot.

The paper said there were over a 1,000 people there at Southpark in the line. Not me. I managed to get mine by FedEx. I could not get through to Apple, but go through at 5 am to order on the AT&T site early that morning they were available.