3G vs. 4G - What's The Difference - News & Opinion - PCMag

4/26/2016
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.4 :
G vs
'
What s the Di
erence
BY SASCHA SEGAN (/AUTHOR-BIO/SASCHA-SEGAN) FEBRUARY 10, 2015 04:26PM EST
23
COMMENTS
If you're buying a new smartphone, you'll need to choose a type of data network. We explain 3G and 4G in simple terms.
For average consumers, '3G' and '4G' are two of

the most mysterious terms in the mobile
technology dictionary, but they're used
relentlessly to sell phones and tablets. If you're
shopping for a new phone, the answer isn't
clear-cut, and you shouldn't always go for the
higher number. Our primer will help explain
which technology to pick.
3G and 4G Explained
First things rst, the "G" stands for a generation

of mobile technology, installed in phones and on
cellular networks. Each "G" generally requires
you to get a new phone, and for networks to
make expensive upgrades. The rst two were
analog cell phones (1G) and digital phones (2G). Then it got complicated.
Third-generation mobile networks, or 3G, came to the U.S. in 2003. With minimum
consistent Internet speeds of 144Kbps, 3G was supposed to bring "mobile broadband."
There are now so many varieties of 3G, though, that a "3G" connection can get you
Internet speeds anywhere from 400Kbps to more than ten times that.
New generations usually bring new base technologies, more network capacity for more
data per user, and the potential for better voice quality, too.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399984,00.asp
1/14
4/26/2016
4G phones are supposed to be even faster, but that's not always the case. There are so
many technologies called "4G," and so many ways to implement them, that the term is
almost meaningless. The International Telecommunications Union, a standards body,
tried to issue requirements to call a network 4G but they were ignored by carriers, and
eventually the ITU backed down. 4G technologies include HSPA+ 21/42, the now
obsolete WiMAX, and LTE (although some consider LTE the only true 4G of that bunch,
and some people say none of them are fast enough to qualify.)
There's a big difference between 4G LTE and other technologies called "4G" though,
and it's most visible in upload speeds. If you upload a lot of data - posting photos or
videos, for instance - you'll nd LTE's upload speeds are far better than those on HSPA.
There are many different ways to implement LTE, too, so you can't assume all LTE
speeds are the same. Carriers with more available radio spectrum for LTE can typically
run faster networks than carriers with less spectrum, for instance.
This confusion is why we run our annual Fastest Mobile Networks
(http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2459185,00.asp) story, which tests 3G and
4G networks in 30 cities nationwide. In this year's tests, we generally found that on
speed alone Verizon's4G LTE network was the fastest, followed by T-Mobile LTE,
AT&TLTE, T-Mobile HSPA+, Sprint LTE, AT&T HSPA, Verizon 3G and nally Sprint 3G.
Would you like to know more about LTE, the global standard for 4G? Read our primer,
What Is LTE? (http://www.extremetech.com/mobile/110711-what-is-lte) over at
ExtremeTech.
When to Go For 4G
2/14
4/26/2016
When to Go For 4G
In 2015, almost everyone should have a 4G phone. Verizon now has nationwide 4G LTE
coverage. T-Mobile and MetroPCS have nationwide HSPA+ 42 and growing LTE
networks. AT&T has broad LTE coverage. Sprint is still building out LTE, but by next year
the carrier aims to be comprehensive.
If you like to surf the Web and especially stream video, 4G can be heaven. If you
connect a laptop to your mobile link, 4G makes a huge difference. In general, anything
involving transferring large amounts of data gets a big boost from 4G. Watch out for
the data limits on your service plan, though; it's easy to use up a lot of data very
quickly with 4G.
If you have a 3G phone and you've been frustrated with slow data, 4G may be the
solution. 4G won't solve any dropped call problems, though, as all calls will be made
over older networks until carriers switch to voice-over-LTE during the next few years.
Finally, if you want to future-proof yourself, get a 4G phone. 4G coverage is only going
to get better, and that's where the carriers are spending most of their money right now.
You can assume that all 4G phones also support your carrier's 3G and 2G networks as
well.
Should You Even Consider 3G?
There are a few reasons you might still settle for a 3G phone.
If your phone is mostly for voice use, you have no need for 4G data. Save money and
save battery life by choosing a device without the high-speed network.
If you live in an area that doesn't have 4G coverage, there's no advantage to a 4G
phone. In fact, you'll have serious battery life problems if you buy an LTE phone and
don't disable 4G LTE, as the radio's search for a non-existent signal will drain your
battery quickly.
If you're strapped for cash and buying a phone off contract, you may have to settle for
3G to save money. In that case, make sure to get the fastest 3G phone possible. On
Verizon and Sprint, you want to check that it supports "EVDO Rev A." On T-Mobile and
AT&T, you want the highest class of HSPA+ possible: if not 42 or 21, then 14.4.
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PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other
gadgets in more than 9 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, one of the hosts
of the daily PCMag Live Web show and speaks frequently in mass media on cell-phone-related issues. His
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commentary has appeared on ABC, the BBC, the CBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and in newspapers from San Antonio,
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COMMENTS
23Comments
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Jointhediscussion
NormHarding 7monthsago
Iwouldenjoyyourarticlesmoreifthosestupidadsdidn'tgetintheway!Spentseveral
minutestryingtogetridofthemsoIcouldfinallyreadthearticle!ThatiswhyIrarelygoto
somesightsanymore.
1
Reply Share
keewee23>NormHarding 3monthsago
adblockplusforchromeorfirefox
Reply
Share
7/14
4/26/2016
Reply Share
JohnnyChan ayearago
4Gsux...timefor5G
Reply Share
JamesRossSidAway ayearago
Doesthewireless"braingate"interfaceoperatewithmuchlesslagon4G?AllRChuman
interfaceswilllikelylagmuchmoreona3Gnetworks,thustranslatingintojerkycontrols
andwillbequicklyidentifiedbytheeducatedpopulace.IthinkIansweredmyquestion,lol
nicearticle,btw.
Reply Share
Tomaskennedy 2yearsago
4gshouldbefasterinmyopinion
1
Reply Share
RuneGuldberg 2yearsago
Whatphoneworksforyouisthisabout.Whatisthedifference?
Reply Share
hassanjames 2yearsago
Idontlikenoneofthebullyoupeoplearesaying.Pointblank,4gshouldbebetterandalot
quickerthen3gorwhoevercreatedtheGsshouldbeshot!Itshouldntbeanymore
complecatedthenthat!
6
Reply Share
AngelTudela>hassanjames ayearago
wellhere'sthefirstidiotoftheday,anymore...._.
2
Reply Share
RobertThompson>AngelTudela ayearago
Itotallyagreewithyouthat4gshouldbefasterthan3g.Thecellphone
businessisallascamanyway.
Reply Share
PaulRussell 2yearsago
Thereisnothingwrongwitha3GUMTSsmartphonefordataservicesandspeed.Someof
themodernHSPA+canofferdataspeedsonparwiththoseoffourthgenerationLTE
networks,especiallywhenusingDualCarrierMIMOtechnology.Plus,3Gradiosaren'tas
muchasapowersuckandarelowercostandnetworksmayhavebettercoverage.Also,
3Gcellulardevicesaremorecompatiblewithinternational3Gnetworkfrequencies
1
Reply Share
AnneDickens 2yearsago
Doyoueverpublishexpertbiophysicalscientificstudiesonthedangerousrelationshipof
3Gand4Gandtheincreaseincancers?Nottomentionotherphysiologicalandbehavioral
8/14
4/26/2016
effects,includingautism,causedby3Gand4G?Wearecurrentlybeingradiatedby
Republicanownedtelecommunicationsbusinesses.Leadingscientistsnowagreethat
exposureto3Gand4Gmightbeworsethanexposuretocigarettesmokeandasbestos.It
isonlyashortmatteroftime,beforethosecorporateentitiesandthetrashmagazinesthat
supportthemwillbe,well,exposed.Let'swatchthemradiatetheirbabieswithbaby
monitorsandkilltheirtoddlersandteens.Thedebatebetween3Gand4Gisequivalentto
whichkillerlevelofradiationyourprefer..And,justwhataboutthatcelltowerthatiscloser
toyourhomethan5miles?
15
Reply Share
Jay>AnneDickens 9monthsago
Tinfoil...it'swhatyouneed,Annie.
2
Reply Share
nitemarejim>AnneDickens ayearago
Republicanowned?
Isn'titDemocratownedApplethatencouragespeopletogetradiatedbyselling
themmillionsandmillionsofiphones??Ihopeyouwearyourtinfoilhateveryday,
otherwise,theCIAandNSAwillbereadingyourthoughts.
BTW,maroon,nobodygets"radiated"withacellphone.Cooked,maybe,butnot
radiated.
6
Reply Share
MarkMosquito>nitemarejim ayearago
Didyoujustcallhimacolorratherthanmoron?
1
Reply Share
SaschaSegan
Mod >MarkMosquito ayearago
Ithinkhedid(5monthsago),butjustasanote,"maroon"isan
awesomeoldslangtermforsomeonewhoisreallyoutoftheloopor
uninformed,i.e.likesomeonewhohasbeenmaroonedonanisland
forawhile.It'safunonetouse,evenifthistimeitappearstohave
beenanaccident.
Reply Share
nitemarejim>SaschaSegan 10monthsago
IalwaysthoughtthatBugsBunnycalledpeoplemaroonsasawayof
callingthemmoronswithoutgettingcensored.
Reply Share
aidanjt>AnneDickens 2yearsago
"Leadingscientistsnowagreethatexposureto3Gand4Gmightbeworsethan
exposuretocigarettesmokeandasbestos."
Onlyonesthatdon'tknowthefirstthingaboutradiation.Buttheydon'tcount.
Microwavesarenonionising,period.
9
Reply Share
9/14
4/26/2016
Reply
Share
Guest>AnneDickens 2yearsago
Wellyeah,butthere'snothingwecanevendoaboutit,sincethesesignalsarenow
broadcastprettymuchallovertheworld.
2
Reply Share
Ns161 2yearsago
DoyouhaveVerizon?Doyouliveinamajorcity?
Thenthedifferenceisthat3Gisgenerallysignificantlyfasterthan4G.
3
Reply Share
tu3218>Ns161 2yearsago
guessingyoumeanttheoppositeandshouldswitchyour3Gand4Garound.
2
Reply Share
Ns161>tu3218 2yearsago
Nope,notintheleast.ReadtherecentstatementbyaVerizonexecutives
regardingseriousproblemswith4Gserviceinmajormetropolitanareas.
FormonthsVerizoncustomershavebeencomplainingaboutbottlenecks
andmajor4Gslowdownsinmajorcities.Verizononlyrecently
acknowledgedthat,yes,thereisaproblemaftermonthsoftellingcustomers
therewasnoserviceproblemandtryingtopassthebuckontoproblemsat
thedeviceend.
5
Reply Share
Himankan>Ns161 2yearsago
4Gdeviceswillalsosupport3G.Soturnoffthe4Gfeatureuntilthe
networkisupgradedwithmoretowers.
//
Reply Share
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Home (/) / Reviews (http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,13,00.asp) / Cell Phones (/reviews/cell-phones) /

BY SASCHA SEGAN (/AUTHOR-BIO/SASCHA-SEGAN) FEBRUARY 10, 2015 04:26PM EST

For average consumers, '3G' and '4G' are two of

First things rst, the "G" stands for a generation

Should You Even Consider 3G?

PREVIOUS : Sprint Network Dramatically Improves, Report Finds

NEXT : AT&T to Offer 7GB of Shareable Data

19 Amazon Fire TV Tips for

MORE STORIES BY SASCHA

Hands On With the HTC 10

SEE MORE + (/AUTHOR-BIO/SASCHA-SEGAN)

MORE INSIDE PCMAG COM

Mod >MarkMosquito ayearago

MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

The Growing Threat of

How to Remove Malware

Inside Cuba's Ad Hoc

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