4G and Smartphones for a techno noob.

[Nick 50]

I keep hearing about "4G" and having got a smartphone, can someone explain in laymans terms what is 4G please?
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Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon.......

[J.M.]

As far as I know...

Televisions used to broadcast analogue channels. Over the recent years there has been a big campaign, switching everybody to digital and stopping the analogue broadcasts.

Obviously there are only so many frequencies that a radio wave can broadcast on, many of them are reserved. The TV channel frequency is now, however, no longer needed. So the frequencies used by the TV industry for broadcasting were [or are being] sold.

What 4G essentially does is use this frequency to provide high-speed data connection to devices. The last time I read anything about it, speeds of 100mb were estimated, but I don't know of any proof for that.

A 4G compatible phone is one which is capable of using these 4G networks.

I'm out of date though. I have no idea where we currently are in terms of the frequencies being sold, the network being created and the network being made publicly available!
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2004 R1 & 2018 XSR900

[noobRider]

3G phones use high speed digital data packets to achieve speeds comparable to more basic broadband over telephone wires (2 - 7 Mb). 4G as advertised by EE is supposed to offer far better speeds (8, 12 - 40+ Mb) BUT it's not available widely outside cities and the frequencies used at the moment don't penetrate buildings very well so it's mostly unusable indoors, so 3G + indoor wifi may be better, depending on circumstances. 4G uses fancy antennae, smart frequency usage and very smart data package handling to do this.

Someone did a field test
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Licence: Nov 2012, Bikes: Suzuki GN125, Moto Guzzi Strada 750, Triumph Sprint ST 955i x 2
AnPhonEh: I need plans, I need contingency plans also, I need back up contingency plans

[doggone]

It's only EE doing it so far other than trial areas, and it isn't proper 4G but uses different frequencies.

In theory when the 'real' 4G starts widely, it will be better at penetrating buildings and many areas with poor or no service now may be pleasantly surprised.
I'd hang on a bit if possible before upgrading, depending on how much you might use it.
At the moment the price seems excessive unless you're a big user.
In a couple of years it will be the norm most likely and almost all new handsets will be compatible.

[Frost]

4G just stands for 4th Generation.
1G was analogue signals the very first mobiles used. There was rather like walkie talkies.
2G was the digital mobile everything used to use, and most things still do use. You can do calls and very slow interwebs over 2G. You tend to get 2G coverage everywhere.
3G is higher speed data but crappier signal coverage. Indoors i almost never get 3G coverage, unless i'm in certain cities anyway.
4G is going to be like 3G but more so. It'll be quicker, more expensive for a contract & handset and you won't get the benefit of it cause you won't have 4G signal when you actually want it.

I'd happily exchange the existence of 4G for half decent 3G coverage.

[bikertomm]

Having worked on upgrades for the 4G network I personally think people paying premium contract prices on EE are fools..

It definitely needs some time to get up and running, and as it stands is essentially pointless to the majority of people.

I get very good 3G connection speeds and that does me fine.
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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[Nick 50]

Thanks for the responses, it has cleared it up somewhat.
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Current Bikes: ZX7r 97 (Black Beauty), VFR400 NC24 (The banana)
Previous Bikes: Aprilia Tuono 03 (The Beast), CBR600f (97)
First bike: A GZ125 Lemon.......

[calyx]

4g phones have a different type of antenna and a chip which eats your battery flat in less than 18 hours.
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Boris - London

[Rigga]

[Rigga]

[Scotsman37]

In the UK as stated earlier that EE is the sole provider of 4G in the UK while in the USA various companies provide you with 4G except they now for a while having 4G LTE which has a much higher throughput which is being introduced to many areas within USA.

With 4G you do get excellent downloads/streaming of TV/Movies on your devices and it's great for video chatting say for instance Skype (owned now by Microsoft), but it depends on your DATA plan that you have with your mobile phone provider will it be a set amount of Gbs or unlimited? The unlimited plans as found with the likes of Tmobile USA offer such a service with so many Gigabytes say when 5Gbs is reached then you're throttled down to 2G speed until the end of the month before it reverts back to 4G/4G LTE speed for the 5Gb usage once again!

That is the reason why so many people visit Starbucks or similar to relax and surf with their device via the store's WiFi rather use up their smartphone's 4G data plan for the month to quickly!

Remember if you want to Tether your laptop/andriod/ipad device to your smartphone while out&about away from WiFi hotspots then your phone will very soon request that you add the HotSpot option to your plan otherwise you will be blocked for breaching the current data plan contract. I've personally tried and it happened they detected it within a week or so of me doing that - lol

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[Hetzer]

[Frost]

[Rigga]

Don't suppose you're with o2 by any chance are ya?[/quote]

I am, but it's a MASSIVE improvement from when i was on Three. Nowhere at home nor work could i get even a single bar of 2G coverage. There was no point to even owning the phone.[/quote]

The other way round for me!