This. HSPA is 3G. HSPA+ is "4G". LTE is LTE. Quite a number of posters including mods posted HSPA as 4G. This is false. HSPA+ is considered 4G by AT&T, the international standard body and also T-Mobile.
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Why does my iPhone 5 say "4G"
- Thread starter jesusplay
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This. HSPA is 3G. HSPA+ is "4G". LTE is LTE. Quite a number of posters including mods posted HSPA as 4G. This is false. HSPA+ is considered 4G by AT&T, the international standard body and also T-Mobile.
Apple released this 4G mod in an iOS update maybe a year or so ago. From what I understood, it was kind of a transition thing, and an advertising thing on the part of AT&T, to kind of let their customers feel like they were getting service comparable with the other carrier's networks.
Ya, it was originally a farce.
Ya, it was originally a farce.
Sure. So going back to the subject of this topic, if 3.6mbps capable HSPA network is 3G, why did Apple give in to AT&T and no other carrier in the world, and started showing 4G for everything between EDGE and LTE? Started with iOS 5.1.
Even now for example on Australian Telstra 42mbps DC-HSPA+ ridiculously fast HSPA+ network, the iPhone 5 indicator still shows 3G. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lS_EVkkbCQ
Yet 10 times slower AT&T MicroCell connection is presented as 4G on an iPhone.
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iPhone doesn't show 4G for everything between EDGE and LTE? Only HSPA+. Maybe Telstra's network in that particular area isn't DC-HSPA+? Or signal is too weak/slow that it falls back onto 3G (HSPA)? Verizon has 4G but that doesn't mean the iPhone can't show 3G while on Verizon. Not all areas are covered by 4G or higher technology.
I'm not sure if you're looking what I'm posting but here we go again:
Explain how an AT&T MicroCell capable of 3.6mbps can be 4G.
Because that's exactly what users see on their iPhones after iOS 5.1 and up:
iPhone labels ANYTHING above EDGE as 4G, and it's completely independent from the actual network airlink negotiated.
AT&T has upgraded all their regural 3G towers to HSPA+ so that technically allows it to be called 4G. Even if the backhaul is not upgraded to support higher speeds above 8-9mbps on some locations it is still HSPA+ technology that the new devices are connected and use.
What does a microcell have to do with HSPA+ or 4G and why do you keep saying 3.6mbps.
The speed has nothing to do with it I told you earlier. It could be HSPA+ and get 1mbps or HSPA+ and get 20mbps. Its not the speed the determines what its called but the technology behind it. Thus allowing HSPA+ in the US to be called and labeled as 4G according to industry standards here.
I know it doesnt make sense since its only a faster 3G but I guess that's how they're getting away with it both AT&T and Tmobile and are not sued for false advertising.
Im sure they researched it in a lot more detail than me and you.
You just repeated what I said?
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3 bars of HSPA+ gets me 2.2Mbps...
Every post you write, you're more and more detaching from my point AND the subject of this topic.
iPhone negotiates the network release version the same on AT&T, T-Mobile, Testra, Vodaphone, Rogers, or any other carrier in the world. Matter of fact some carriers have a higher release version network, better and newer HSPA network, but only when connected to AT&T's network the iPhone shows 4G.
That's the subject of this topic.
Iphone or Apple has nothing to do with it.
Its an industry standard. How hard is it to understand?
What nonsense are you talking about negotiating the network release?
The iphone 4S and new iphone 5 uses HSPA+ technology to connect to AT&T's network. That's allowed to be called 4G, its not anything up to Apple to decide.
Im done, you obviously dont get it or dont want to get it.
This isn't even true. LTE was not even technically 4G by the original specs for that term. The 4G standard has since been redefined to actually include both HSPA+ and LTE. This uppity attitude about LTE being so superior to HSPA+ is just hogwash in its current implementation.
Because, as far as I've seen online (such as here) the AT&T Microcell is using HSPA+.
Thus, as numerous other people have stated, that's what AT&T calls 4G which is why you see 4G on your phone.
This has literally nothing to do with how other people's phones interact with the actual cellular towers, so I'm not sure why you keep bringing this up as evidence of anything other than your own situation.
That's just not true. I still see both 4G and 3G on my iPhone 4S.
Your Microcell is not the entire network. It's a single device running in one specific way.
In San Antonio on AT&Ts HSPA+ network my Iphone routinely got 6-7mbps down, thats significantly faster then regular old 3G and really is closer to 4G. Now on LTE im getting peak speeds of 60mbps and averages around 20mbps.
I also said I noticed that even a mod made this mistake? And it seems as if people don't seem to notice that HSPA and HSPA+ are very different even after I repeat what you said. I thought maybe reinforcing and repeating it would help this thread. My apologies.
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Wrong, theoretical max is higher with LTE. In real life, this is kind of moot since network traffic determines download/upload speeds and latency. LTE IS superior to HSPA+.
I was traveling in rural Mississippi a few weeks ago and hit several '3G' towers that AT&T hadn't yet upgraded to HSPA+ (or perhaps I was roaming on a partner GSM network's tower). That sort of disproves the "everything between EDGE and LTE is labeled as 4G" theory.
That said, AT&T has upgraded almost their entire network to HSPA+, which they are allowed to call 4G.
Now I tend to be a bit geeky and uppity and agree that AT&T's HSPA+ shouldn't be called 4G, but that has more to do with real world performance than anything else. In reality, AT&T ought to actually provide something close the bandwidth they PROMISE for 4G. As it is, they just don't have the backhaul to a lot of towers (someone else mentioned that, I think).
There's also a spectrum crunch in a lot of big cities. I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and that '4G' AT&T network was completely unusable. Had to turn on my iPad (VZW LTE) and tether it to my iPhone just to download my email.
That said, AT&T has upgraded almost their entire network to HSPA+, which they are allowed to call 4G.
Now I tend to be a bit geeky and uppity and agree that AT&T's HSPA+ shouldn't be called 4G, but that has more to do with real world performance than anything else. In reality, AT&T ought to actually provide something close the bandwidth they PROMISE for 4G. As it is, they just don't have the backhaul to a lot of towers (someone else mentioned that, I think).
There's also a spectrum crunch in a lot of big cities. I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and that '4G' AT&T network was completely unusable. Had to turn on my iPad (VZW LTE) and tether it to my iPhone just to download my email.
3G = 3G
HSPA+ = The baby steps to true 4G
LTE = Closer to 4G, but not quite
LTE-Advanced = True 4G
So it doesn't really matter how are you connecting to AT&T's network using an iOS device, whether is HSPA, HSDPA, HSPA+, you're looking at 4G. Unless you're roaming.
Now here is something you all should consider before trying to be technical.
T-Mobile is refarming their existing 2G 1900 PCS spectrum for HSPA use. They're also installing Release 10 equipment to those sites, getting ready for LTE and LTE-Advanced. For comparisons sake, AT&T is still using Release 8 equipment and in some cases release 7.
I happen to live in an area where I can get T-Mobile HSPA+ service on my iPhone 5.
I've NEVER, EVER seen 4G moniker on my iPhone when connected to T-Mobile's network.
That's exactly my point. Apple gave in on 4G over HSPA+ moniker ONLY to AT&T and no other networks in the world.
Case closed.
Now here is something you all should consider before trying to be technical.
T-Mobile is refarming their existing 2G 1900 PCS spectrum for HSPA use. They're also installing Release 10 equipment to those sites, getting ready for LTE and LTE-Advanced. For comparisons sake, AT&T is still using Release 8 equipment and in some cases release 7.
I happen to live in an area where I can get T-Mobile HSPA+ service on my iPhone 5.
I've NEVER, EVER seen 4G moniker on my iPhone when connected to T-Mobile's network.
That's exactly my point. Apple gave in on 4G over HSPA+ moniker ONLY to AT&T and no other networks in the world.
Case closed.
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Oh well it is up to Apple, because all other HSPA+ network in the world that iPhone is connecting shows 3G instead.
That's because Tmobile is not an official carrier and if AT&T wants to display their HSPA+ as 4G is they can by law without a prob.
If Tmobile also sold the iphone and they told Apple to change the display icon on the top left corner they'd do it too. Cause HSPA+ can be called 4G.
That's probably because those other carriers didnt ask Apple to display it as 4G, if they did apple would have changed it too.
Its not up to Apple to say yes or no, it is an industry standard now and can be updated with a new carrier config file.
Apple doesnt decide wether to allow it or not, the wireless industry does that.
HSPA+ does meet the qualifications for 4G. I dont know why people knock it so much. I love using my LTE, but I only get the 4G at work. My data speed is SO much faster than 3G with my phone in the same spot. I used to get 200kbps and now it is 2.5mbps. Also, places where I got good 3G service, I get like 6-8 mbps. Glad I stuck with AT&T.
Regardless of the speeds, it's sad that LTE/4G uploads are magnitudes faster than my crappy U-Verse!
Took me a good part of the day to do my initial upload to my cloud storage.
Took me a good part of the day to do my initial upload to my cloud storage.
I'm pretty sure no one here is trying to debate on whether HSPA+ is or isn't the ITU approved 4G standard. The issue I see is that only AT&T gets their HSPA+ to be displayed with 4G moniker, but much newer and bigger HSPA+ networks globally don't.
Most of the speeds are area dependent.... in San Antonio HSPA+ gets faster speeds then some people are getting with LTE in other cities. Ive seen LTE here get up to 69mbps...
There is no LTE network that is even a quarter of the speed possible and that isn't going to change for a long time. As I said, in LTE's current implementation it offers barely any advantage over 42 Mbps HSPA+.