4G with iOS 5.1

[Kevdog]

I read what the update does and one of the lines says changes to ATT status bar. Low and behold I now have 4G ! Never saw that on status bar until after update. Tried some Youtube videos which are usually slow and pause, but the white bar outruns the the blue one now. Cool !

 

[Iloveiphones]

It's still 3G, or 3G+. No 4G. Just AT&T and Apple (more AT&T) trying to confuse you.

 

[IceCold357]

So it says 4G but it is actually 3G? OP you are saying you are getting 4G speeds now?

 

[Iloveiphones]

So it says 4G but it is actually 3G? OP you are saying you are getting 4G speeds now?

Yes, or HSPA+ which simpler is 3G+.

The op can't be getting 4G speeds, the iPhone 4S isn't equipped with the radios and technology. Now, his tower may be experiencing a decreased load which will cause you to get better data speeds.

 

[IceCold357]

Yes, or HSPA+ which simpler is 3G+.

The op can't be getting 4G speeds, the iPhone 4S isn't equipped with the radios and technology. Now, his tower may be experiencing a decreased load which will cause you to get better data speeds.

Okay got it. Thank you. So it's not "real" 4G per say. That 4G stuff confuses me.


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[Iloveiphones]

Okay got it. Thank you. So it's not "real" 4G per say. That 4G stuff confuses me.


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The iPhone 4S isn't. The new iPad is 4G LTE (real).

 

[Kevdog]

I have had an iPhone since the model 3G came out. Now on 4S. I have seen buffering with pauses many times. Not anymore. If your phone is showing 3G after the ios 5.1 update it is because 4G is not in your area yet.

 

[Hondamaker]

The 14.4mbps HSPA+ connection on the AT&T iPhone 4S is high enough to get it covered under AT&T’s 4G blanket.

 

[Hondamaker]

From Engadget:
"In short, carriers seem to have won this battle: the ITU recently backed down, saying that the term 4G "may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMAX, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed." And in a way, we think that's fair -- no one would argue that the so-called "4G" network of today resembles the 3G network of 2001."

Read the entire (lengthy) article here on what constitutes 4G. Anything that improves on 3G can be considered 4G.

 

[IceCold357]

From Engadget:
"In short, carriers seem to have won this battle: the ITU recently backed down, saying that the term 4G "may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMAX, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed." And in a way, we think that's fair -- no one would argue that the so-called "4G" network of today resembles the 3G network of 2001."

Read the entire (lengthy) article here on what constitutes 4G. Anything that improves on 3G can be considered 4G.

Got you. Thanks for that link.

 

[Europa]

It's still 3G, or 3G+. No 4G. Just AT&T and Apple (more AT&T) trying to confuse you.

Wow, Mac. You need to do some research on 4G/LTE before making outrageous claims like this. In a nutshell, you can get 4G speeds on a 4S and that's all it takes to qualify as 4G so they can call it 4G. They aren't trying to confuse people.

 

[Hondamaker]

Got you. Thanks for that link.

It's a long article, but it does shed some light on some popular misconceptions.

Thanks go to Tim Barribeau for posting it in the eic blog.

 

[Rugaby]

http://www.att.com/network/?

Shows cities that are 4g/lte on AT&T

 

[IceCold357]

It's a long article, but it does shed some light on some popular misconceptions.

Thanks go to Tim Barribeau for posting it in the eic blog.

Yeah that actually helped me understand it a little better. We don't have 4G in my area and probably won't for awhile. We just got 3G about 2 1/2 years ago. I remember because I mad the mistake of switching to the first Android so I could have 3G on Verizon. I ran back to AT&T and my iPhone within 20 days.


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[jaydoc1]

Call it whatever you want but the 4S is not a 4G LTE capable device. You may get 3G speeds which approach or actually exceed 4G LTE speeds with it, but that doesn't make it a true 4G LTE phone. I can hear AM stations from Alaska occasionally with my in car stereo but that doesn't make it a satellite radio receiver. It doesn't have the hardware for it.

The new iPad is a true LTE device. If there is an LTE signal, it can use it. Not so with the 4S.

That's the simple fact without splitting hairs.

 

[Rugaby]

You mean splitting bars.

 

[jaydoc1]

You mean splitting bars.

I stand corrected!

 

[Iloveiphones]

Wow, Mac. You need to do some research on 4G/LTE before making outrageous claims like this. In a nutshell, you can get 4G speeds on a 4S and that's all it takes to qualify as 4G so they can call it 4G. They aren't trying to confuse people.

I call 4G LTE. I don't call HSPA+ 4G. I don't believe I was making an outrageous claim, as I highly doubt the iPhone can get 30+ Mbps speeds like the iPad can. And that's just DC- HSDPA. Let alone LTE.

I have yet to hit over 8Mbps. Please tell me my outrageous claim.

 

[Europa]

I call 4G LTE. I don't call HSPA+ 4G. I don't believe I was making an outrageous claim, as I highly doubt the iPhone can get 30+ Mbps speeds like the iPad can. And that's just DC- HSDPA. Let alone LTE.

I have yet to hit over 8Mbps. Please tell me my outrageous claim.

You claimed that their intentions were to confuse people. The reality is that the speeds qualify as 4G so they can call it 4G.

 

[Iloveiphones]

You claimed that their intentions were to confuse people. The reality is that the speeds qualify as 4G so they can call it 4G.

Well they are. They didn't call 2G 3G. 3G is 3G. They are trying rot rush the market to make things look better.

So if they were always 4G speeds why didn't they call it 4G in the first place?