A question about 4g mobile

[METALMICKY]

What with this weeks big tech news about Orange getting a head start on the other operators, can anyone confirm whether you will need a 4G enabled handset to take advantage? And if yes, when can we expect the major players like Samsung and HTC to get those handsets out in the UK?

I ask this question on the basis that i had O2 on the phone earlier offering a reasonbale deal on the HTC One S. Aside from slight concerns about no removable battery and no expandable memory (only 16GB built it), my major concern was a 24 month contract for a phone that could potentialy get left behind if it cant handle the higher speeds offered by 4G.

Any thoughts?

 

[Springal]

Yes you will need a phone that does 4G/LTE. A lot of phones out already have this, as its widely available in the US. New iphone will have it, so that is all that is important.

 

[beorhthelm]

Yes you will need a phone that does 4G/LTE. A lot of phones out already have this, as its widely available in the US. New iphone will have it, so that is all that is important.

not so fast. theres different types of LTE or whatever technology. im pretty sure we arent going to be using the tech thats in the apple kit for example Aussies just had a court case about this and apple lost (might have been Ipad though).

assume Orange/TMobile will have suitable devices available, assume they will be new and the tariffs expensive.

 

[Storer 68]

What with this weeks big tech news about Orange getting a head start on the other operators, can anyone confirm whether you will need a 4G enabled handset to take advantage? And if yes, when can we expect the major players like Samsung and HTC to get those handsets out in the UK?

I ask this question on the basis that i had O2 on the phone earlier offering a reasonbale deal on the HTC One S. Aside from slight concerns about no removable battery and no expandable memory (only 16GB built it), my major concern was a 24 month contract for a phone that could potentialy get left behind if it cant handle the higher speeds offered by 4G.

Any thoughts?

all to do with the spectrum available. Orange can move into the 1800 Mhz band

 

[Bladders]

I'm sure I read somewhere that 4g won't even work in this country.

 

[tycoon0_0]

There are 4G versions of handsets. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is a 4G device in the US while the UK version is not. Once the 4G network released by Everything Everywhere in September, devices will be launched in the UK with 4G capabilities. It is also expected that products such as dongles will be released through the company.

So to answer your initial question, the HTC phone O2 are offering you will not work with 4G but the more pressing point with that is that the rival networks (O2, Vodafone & 3) are not in a position to launch a 4G network any time soon.

It is worth noting that just because the 4G network goes live next month, it does not necessarily mean there will be products readily available from the start.

I would also like to point out it is not Orange getting the 4G service. They parent company of Orange and T-mobile, Everything Everywhere is expected to launch a new network to provide the 4G service.

Finally, it is presumptuous to assume that the iPhone 5 will come 4G ready, especially to the UK. While it would make sense, considering the new iPad was, until Apple release the specifications of the handset in September. While it is now fairly clear what the hardware will look like, the software and capabilities of the handset are yet to be confirmed.

 

[beorhthelm]

Finally, it is presumptuous to assume that the iPhone 5 will come 4G ready, especially to the UK. While it would make sense, considering the new iPad was, until Apple release the specifications of the handset in September.

very presumptuous. ive just looked it up and its complicated. at least everyone seems set on one technology standard, LTE (theres a competitor Wimax which loots like is lost already), but the frequenies are still different country to country. the Ipad is currently supporting 4G at 700Mhz and 2.1Ghz. the forthcoming EverythingEverywhere offering will be on 1.8Ghz, their existing network. the future auctioning of 4G will be for 2.4GHz band. there will also be provision for the existing 800MHz to be used (Vodafone and O2 current network).

see how those numbers dont fit... Ipad in US using 700MHz or 2.1GHz, UK (and europe) using 800MHz, 1.8GHz (UK only) and 2.6Ghz. so unless Apple release a specific Ipad and Iphone models to support the UK market, they aint going to work.

look forward to 4G being a big confusing disappointment for another year or two untill this all gets flushed out and everyones standardised on 2.6Ghz. at which point everyone will complain because the signal is shit unless the telcos rollout massive networks.

 

[junior]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek

 

[4-p]

This will explain 4g.
4G in the UK: What it is, when its coming and what it means for you | ZDNet

The difference between us and the US and the reason why Apple was successfully sued in Australia is the frequency(s) involved. Ours is different from the US. Aus sued Apple cos they advertised a 4g iPad that only worked on American 4g but it was shipped to Aus and did not supply 4g.

It looks like Samsung are leading the way in LTE after investing heavily in the 3 network recently. Incidently 3 mobile ran out of bandwidth before the others cos the tethered ipad to iphone with unlimited bandwidth.
The other networks collectively sued offcom because the bandwidth auction it was about to hold is against EU trade laws which need to be equal but 3 stayed our of it cos they needed it.
Meanwhile, the networks were told that 4g would be delayed because they weren't making full use of 2g and the LTE network was tested by the media during the Olympics.

I'd like to expect the next iphone to be 4g ready but it's unlikely, i expect the 5s will be tho.

Also windows 8 comes out in September/October so Nokia will finally be able to release a decent phone, again unlikely to be 4g ready.

I reckon June next year