Listen up. HSPA+ != 4G

[sniffs]

Listen up folks.. there's MASSIVE confusion on the consumer part of this. HSPA+ is NOT 4G. T-Mobile rebranding their HSPA network 4G and now AT&T is a farce. Yes the ITU claims "4G is 100Mbps.." but LTE is based on a 4G technology, HSPA is not, so argument thrown out the window. HSPA = 3G, HSPA+ is a software(and some hardware) upgrade to enhance speeds.

It's not "all about the speed".. it's about the technology behind it. It's called "4G" because it's the "fourth generation" of cellular network technologies.

The iPhone 4 is NOT a 4G phone. "Why not call it a iPhone 4G if it's running on AT&T's 4G network"..because it's NOT a 4G device.

The ONLY 2 4G technologies are WiMax and LTE.

Since AT&T has rebranded their 3G-HSPA network "4G", what will they call their LTE network when it's around in late 2011? 5G?

Plain and simple. All of your Tmobile devices that are branded 4G are not true 4G. They are simply fast 3G.

If you have an iPhone 4 on AT&T and go out and buy a HTC Inspire 4G, you WILL NOT see increased speeds. If you go out and buy the Atrix 4G, you WILL NOT see increased speeds.

You can thank T-Mobile and AT&T for this. Carriers confusing the consumers are what they are best at.

I cant tell you how many people call Android, "Droid".. Verizon blurred the lines and now everyone, including people who have a Nexus One, call their phone "Droids". It's getting out of hands, and it's bad when a blogger, especially the ones at Androidandme.com are doing it. Listen up, read forums, internet sites, educate yourself.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

I hate to quote an outside blog, but read this.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/17/2g-3g-4g-and-everything-in-between-an-engadget-wireless-prim/

Pay special attention to the end where they explain that the ITU has loosened the definition of 4G to include wimax, lte, and HSPA+. Yes you read that right, wimax and lte are also TECHNICALLY not 4G.

Sent from my myTouch 4G

 

[sniffs]

I hate to quote an outside blog, but read this.

2G, 3G, 4G, and everything in between: an Engadget wireless primer -- Engadget

Pay special attention to the end where they explain that the ITU has loosened the definition of 4G to include wimax, lte, and HSPA+. Yes you read that right, wimax and lte are also TECHNICALLY not 4G.

Sent from my myTouch 4G

Still though.. why not call the iPhone 4, 4G?

First things first: "G" stands for "generation," so when you hear someone refer to a "4G network," that means they're talking about a wireless network based on fourth-generation technology

Isn't LTE based on a fourth generation technology? YES!

the carriers won.. what did they win? They won at getting a chance to confuse the consumers even more.

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...

from now on, I'm going to call my GTO a Ferrari, it's officially rebranded.. it's got 400HP and is super fast.

 

[Kevin OQuinn]

Still though.. why not call the iPhone 4, 4G?

Because it's not HSPA+ or LTE (or WIMAX).

Isn't LTE based on a fourth generation technology? YES!

Nobody argued that it shouldn't be called 4G, but according to the original spec laid out but the ITU the first iteration of LTE doesn't meet the speed requirements to be officially 4G.

the carriers won.. what did they win? They won at getting a chance to confuse the consumers even more.

Agreed completely. Well, mostly. I partially agree with basing it solely on speed which is the easiest for the average consumer to understand.

from now on, I'm going to call my GTO a Ferrari, it's officially rebranded.. it's got 400HP and is super fast.

And my '96 Altima is now a GTR.

See bold above.