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What is the difference between 4G & LTE?
Connection speed is an important issue when it comes to using the internet. We can even feel frustrated if a video does not advance smoothly, or if we cannot open a certain application since the minimum speed requires is not what we have.
In this opportunity, we will be talking about 4G and LTE connections.
Can you tell the difference between 4G and LTE? If you have ever looked at the notification bar of your phone, surely you noticed that one of these symbols appears on one side of the signal bar. However, what do they mean? Is there a difference between them? Is one better than the other?
Continue reading and find out more about this topic:
What are the key differences between 4G and LTE?
4G means the fourth generation, and when it was released in 2008, it was described as a mobile phone technology that allows you to connect faster than before. Currently, almost every smartphone takes advantage of 4G connectivity.
The download speeds can be around 80Mbps, which allows you to watch a movie without worrying about waiting for it to load or to have a video call with good audio and video performance.
One important advantage of this generation is the lower latency, which means that the responses are quicker than before.
If you want to have a 4G connection, you need to check if it is available in your area, if your cell phone works with 4G, and finally if you are on a 4G plan.
However, at the beginning 4G connection to the standards originally established by the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunications Sector (ITU-R) were hypothetical. The operators had to work hard to achieve the desired connectivity.
It is there where LTE, the acronym for Long Term Evolution, is created. It is an improvement of the 3G network, without becoming such a significant change as to be called 4G.
As operators promoted the LTE network, they began to call it 4G LTE, as a market strategy to simulate that it was a new generation. Although the LTE connection is better than 3G, it does not surpass the 4G connection.
There we would have the main difference. The 4G network works faster than the LTE network.
Things you can do better with 4G
Staying connected all the time involves much more than texting and making calls. We probably spend a lot more time on the internet than doing anything else on the phone. Currently, most of the applications that we use frequently, such as social networks, games, and applications to watch videos, movies, and series, use the internet.
The use of these applications is becoming more and more popular and part of our day to day, whether for work, study or simple entertainment reasons. And of course, to obtain a complete experience and get the most of our phone, we need to have good connectivity.
Nobody wants to play a game or watch a movie with a poor quality video.
Although the 3G network was useful for a long time, it is also true that in comparison, 4G (and even LTE) leads the way. However, it is worth mentioning that if you are in an area where there is no 4G coverage, the 3G network will probably get you out of trouble.
In any case, below we will show you a list of things that you can do much better having 4G coverage on your phone.
- Video Calling: Being in contact with family and friends in other countries is essential. You can do it easily through a video call. The great thing about using 4G data when making a video call is that latency is reduced. Remember that latency is the time it takes for the device to receive and send information. Therefore, when using 4G data, the video call will be made almost in real-time, with a very short waiting interval. This offers us the possibility of having a more fluid conversation, with the best picture and audio performance.
- Tethering: Imagine you need to use your laptop but you do not have a Wi-Fi connection. No problem! You can connect your phone to your computer, using a USB cable or Bluetooth. With a 4G connection, you will be able to use your laptop as if you were connected to Wi-Fi (and sometimes better). You can also try with pocket Wi-Fi. It enables you to connect several devices at the same time. You just need to get a SIM card and a plan that uses a 4G connection.
- Video Streaming: With a 4G connection, you will experience less time for the video to start, HD quality video, and no buffering. These features will make the whole experience of watching videos much better and enjoyable.
- Gaming: Remember that lower latency is one of the most important features of the 4G connection, and the most important when we talk about multiplayer online games. If you want to play without interruptions, 4G is the way.
- Downloading: Although most people try to avoid downloading files and apps when they are not connected to Wi-Fi, sometimes it happens that we are outside and we have to download something important. With a 4G connection, you can download 100MB in around one minute.
- Picture Uploading: When you want to save space in your cell phone for other purposes than pictures, the best idea is to use a cloud storage solution like Google Drive or iCloud. When you are connected to 4G, this process takes less time than with 3G. You could also wait until you have a Wi-Fi connection; however, it is also good to know that with 4G, everything is possible.
As you can see, there is a difference between 4G and LTE. With 4G, you can do many things in less time, which means more efficiency. However, you should know that the fifth generation (5G), is already in the market in many countries, which means a much larger advance in terms of speed, latency, and capacity. Although while it does not reach all destinations, we can ensure that, the 4G network is an excellent alternative.
