The iPhone 4S supports HSPA+. AT&T calls this 4G, and thus it shows a "4G"-icon. LTE is even quicker and is closer to true 4G (it's actually still 3.9G). We only reach "4G" with "LTE Advanced" - which is not available anywhere yet.
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LTE, do you trust it?
- Thread starter audix
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The iPhone 4S supports HSPA+. AT&T calls this 4G, and thus it shows a "4G"-icon. LTE is even quicker and is closer to true 4G (it's actually still 3.9G). We only reach "4G" with "LTE Advanced" - which is not available anywhere yet.
Rendering everything pointless. I won't be paying extra for LTE. I'll just use Wi-Fi. That's my LTE right there.
The iPad shows 4G when it's connected to the 3G (HSPA+) network. It shows LTE when it's connected to the LTE network. When the iPad is on LTE it's way faster than when it's on HSPA+.
I'm assuming the new iPhone will be the same.
Now that's a perfect answer. Thanks.
For now, I have my iPhone 4S, it says 4G, but I jailbroke and tweaked to switch out where it says AT&T and just made it say LTE.
Now it shows like LTE 4G
I honestly don't understand the premise of the OP... LTE is just a way to get more money? Sure, I mean in the same way that 3G was just a way to get more money over 2G. From what I can tell, LTE data isn't billed differently than 3G data though, at least in the states. In any case, the technology is supposed to allow more users per tower at higher data transfer rates. Whether you make use of the extra bandwidth is completely up to you. I am one of those that deals just fine with 3G, but I have no problem going LTE seeing as how it won't cost me any more anyway.
I don't know why the OP would ask if we trust LTE, kind of ridiculous if you ask me. I don't only trust it, I welcome it on the next iPhone. This is one are where the current iPhone is seriously lacking.
I am glad you like that answer. But, isn't it just restating what others have already said in this thread?
Regardless, I am still confused as to the initial point of this thread. LTE is the fastest currently available. And, it doesn't cost more. So, if you are satisfied with your current, slower, speed. Great. I mean that is the bottom line. If you pwoeks for you, doesn't change. No problem.
I didn't think 4G was going to be that big of a deal just because I thought I wouldn't have it anytime soon, so a 3G phone was never a big deal.
Then, I got a Galaxy Nexus, and just two weeks later, Verizon brought LTE to my area. The speeds are incredible! I average 15-20 Mbps down and ~10 Mbps up in the whole city and surrounding areas.
This weekend, I was in a 3G market and everything was soooo slooooowwwww. It makes 4G the top priority for my next phone purchase this fall (shortly followed by screen size).
Then, I got a Galaxy Nexus, and just two weeks later, Verizon brought LTE to my area. The speeds are incredible! I average 15-20 Mbps down and ~10 Mbps up in the whole city and surrounding areas.
This weekend, I was in a 3G market and everything was soooo slooooowwwww. It makes 4G the top priority for my next phone purchase this fall (shortly followed by screen size).
Will like it when my 'unlimited' plan is 5gb of LTE data
(As long as the LTE battery life doesn't suck...)
THIS!!!!
I hope to GOD ATT lets me keep my two granfathered "unlimited" plans LOL Even if I get throttled
It confuses me when people say that LTE is pointless/stupid compared to 3G because it uses more battery life, makes you go through your data plan faster, and because it only makes a difference when downloading data/content (which is a VERY good thing in and of itself -- would you rather an app take 5 seconds to download on LTE as opposed to 3-5 minutes on 3G?) and that it's not worth it. This is simply not true.
You won't only notice the speed increase that comes with connecting to an LTE network in just your downloads, you'll notice it in any app that requires you to connect to the internet. I'll give some examples (and I've seen the difference first hand when comparing my iPhone 4 to my HTC Thunderbolt that connects to Verizon's LTE network):
Checking Email: Your emails will download faster, images and attachments and text will all be downloaded MUCH faster over LTE than on 3G, allowing you to read your emails and reply to them quicker.
Web Browsing: Web pages will load considerably faster over LTE than on 3G, and websites that display a lot of content and images like The Verge or Engadget, for example, will load much, much faster over LTE.
Using the facebook and twitter apps (possibly important for some): Refreshing your news feed/timeline's will be done almost instantly over LTE as opposed to your waiting 10+ seconds for it to load on 3G (I've tested this many, many times and the difference is night and day). Say you're reading your newsfeed and you click on a picture you want to look at. On 3G, it might take 20-30 seconds for it to load, while on LTE, it'll be done in 1-2 seconds.
All of these things makes the experience of using your smartphone FEEL faster to the user, thus making it a more enjoyable and less frustrating experience. So, no, it's NOT true that you will notice the speed "only when you download things", you'll notice it EVERYWHERE! People today are so connected to the internet that they are CONSTANTLY downloading information (for those that are unaware, going to a website in your smartphones web browser requires it to download the images, text, articles, etc. from that website in order for it to display on your phone, so the faster the speed of the network you're on, the faster your page loads and this means less time waiting for a page to load or a video to buffer).
Think about it: What do most people use their smartphone's for? Checking the web and email, downloading new apps, checking facebook, checking twitter, sending pictures and videos on facebook and twitter... This is probably 90% of what people do on their smartphones, with the other 10% being texting and actually using the phone as a phone. All of that checking requires your phone to constantly be downloading and uploading data. LTE makes a world of a difference. You really have to use it yourself to believe it.
Hope this helps people understand the difference that LTE makes when compared to 3G or HSPA+ (4G as AT&T and T-Mobile call it even though it's still 3G).
You won't only notice the speed increase that comes with connecting to an LTE network in just your downloads, you'll notice it in any app that requires you to connect to the internet. I'll give some examples (and I've seen the difference first hand when comparing my iPhone 4 to my HTC Thunderbolt that connects to Verizon's LTE network):
Checking Email: Your emails will download faster, images and attachments and text will all be downloaded MUCH faster over LTE than on 3G, allowing you to read your emails and reply to them quicker.
Web Browsing: Web pages will load considerably faster over LTE than on 3G, and websites that display a lot of content and images like The Verge or Engadget, for example, will load much, much faster over LTE.
Using the facebook and twitter apps (possibly important for some): Refreshing your news feed/timeline's will be done almost instantly over LTE as opposed to your waiting 10+ seconds for it to load on 3G (I've tested this many, many times and the difference is night and day). Say you're reading your newsfeed and you click on a picture you want to look at. On 3G, it might take 20-30 seconds for it to load, while on LTE, it'll be done in 1-2 seconds.
All of these things makes the experience of using your smartphone FEEL faster to the user, thus making it a more enjoyable and less frustrating experience. So, no, it's NOT true that you will notice the speed "only when you download things", you'll notice it EVERYWHERE! People today are so connected to the internet that they are CONSTANTLY downloading information (for those that are unaware, going to a website in your smartphones web browser requires it to download the images, text, articles, etc. from that website in order for it to display on your phone, so the faster the speed of the network you're on, the faster your page loads and this means less time waiting for a page to load or a video to buffer).
Think about it: What do most people use their smartphone's for? Checking the web and email, downloading new apps, checking facebook, checking twitter, sending pictures and videos on facebook and twitter... This is probably 90% of what people do on their smartphones, with the other 10% being texting and actually using the phone as a phone. All of that checking requires your phone to constantly be downloading and uploading data. LTE makes a world of a difference. You really have to use it yourself to believe it.
Hope this helps people understand the difference that LTE makes when compared to 3G or HSPA+ (4G as AT&T and T-Mobile call it even though it's still 3G).
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they will. I bought the s3 (only had it for a few weeks and then went back to my 4S) and they just changed the plan to an unlimited LTE plan. I am using the iphone and it still shows I have the unlimited LTE plan, so when the new phone comes out they won't have to change anything. AT&T lets you grandfather in to LTE and actually up the threshold to 5GB vs the 3 on hspa+