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jesusplay

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 6, 2007
540
40
SOUTH
I'm on att and there is no 4G in my area...but my phone says 4G??? all we have is 3G and it's super ******. wth?
 
Mine switches back and forth from 4g to LTE a lot of times. My city is covered though, what's going on?
 
4G HSPA is just the the 3g network with improved functionality using already existing technology
 
Mine switches back and forth from 4g to LTE a lot of times. My city is covered though, what's going on?

Whenever I'm on a voice call on AT&T and there is any data it always drops to 4G and stays there, sometimes long after the original call is over.
 
I have said before. I hate that they call it 4G- don't know why but it bothers me. The commercial can be deceiving if you think about it. Worlds largest "4G" network-- of course when you call everything 4G!
 
Whenever I'm on a voice call on AT&T and there is any data it always drops to 4G and stays there, sometimes long after the original call is over.

I've noticed this as well. I sometimes toggle airplane mode on and then off to get LTE to kick back in.
 
I know HSPA+ is suspose to be 4G but they call the 3G HSPA, 4G??? :confused:

This is an unfortunate consequence of the decision of the ITU to originally exclude early LTE revisions from the 4G definition. When carriers appealed, they also asked the ITU to re-brand 3G HSPA networks as "4G" even though they were just enhanced 3G technologies. Deutsche Telekom in particular was vocal because they knew T-Mobile USA was years behind Verizon and AT&T in rolling out a real 4G LTE network. Unfortunately, the ITU relented and watered down the definition of "4G" so much that it became meaningless.

LTE is the "real" 4G as far as I'm concerned. In Midtown Manhattan, I routinely get 10Mbps download speed from LTE and 1Mbps from "4G" HSPA.
 
HSPA is not quite 3G, and not quite 4G, so AT&T calls it 4G.
HSPA is straight up 3G. HSPA+ is really 3.5G. Only on AT&T's network you will see the indicator saying "4G" when on HSPA. No other carrier in the world would give you "4G" but AT&T on iPhones. That's most likely some kind of Apple's concession to AT&T for who knows what reason.

The most rediculous thing is when connected to AT&T's MicroCell which is barely capable of 3.6mbps download and 384kbps up, you also see "4G" logo. Insane.
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Yes, but speed has nothing to do. I get 8-9mpbs on AT&T's HSPA+ too.
Its still 3G or 3G+ just named/baptized 4G by AT&T and Tmobile.
Sure but the point is on iPhone only AT&T's network gets the "4G" treatment, globally.
It would've been nice if speed was the differentiator...
 
Sure but the point is on iPhone only AT&T's network gets the "4G" treatment, globally.
It would've been nice if speed was the differentiator...

I dont get what you're saying.
Its not just on the iphone, AT&T has been advertising their HSPA+ as 4G for a long time now. So Tmobile does it too and advertises that they have the fastest 4G network or something and its ok?
Isnt it the same thing?
Tmobile doesnt have LTE at all but their HSPA+ is called 4G now.
More confusing for the regural consumer to understand and decipher each carrier marketing plot while they play with names, terms and speeds.
 
I dont get what you're saying.
Its not just on the iphone, AT&T has been advertising their HSPA+ as 4G for a long time now. So Tmobile does it too and advertises that they have the fastest 4G network or something and its ok?
Isnt it the same thing?
Tmobile doesnt have LTE at all but their HSPA+ is called 4G now.
More confusing for the regural consumer to understand and decipher each carrier marketing plot while they play with names, terms and speeds.

I am precisely talking about Apple's double standard when it comes to "4G" branding on their own iPhone product, which happens to be the subject of this topic. I'm not sure if I could be ANY clearer.
 
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