Thinking back to when 3G first came into existence we all realise how important it was; for the first time smartphones were actually practical to use. We’d just started to all get used to using 3G when 4G came on the scene. So what is the big difference with 4G?
The major change that we all probably immediately think about is the speed but this is not the only benefit you can get from 4G. You need to consider what the benefits will be and decide how vital it actually is for you to have a phone that is compatible with 4G.
What are the benefits of 4G compared to 3G?
As you will probably be aware 4G is a lot quicker than 3G, but do you know exactly how big the difference is?The peak download speed on 3G is 3.6 Mbps which is exceeded by the average download speed on 4G of between 3 and 6 Mbps; you can see how much faster this is. You can learn about the NBN Rollout in Perth in iiNets new blog post, will it be available in your area?
It isn’t just about the speed though, especially if you love towatchmovies or Skype on your cell. 4G has QoS (quality of service). This means that different types of datastreaming can be given different priority. When highpriorityisafforded to Skype and video this meansthat your user experience is greatly improved. You do not experience the same amount of interruptions to service that you have done previously.
So is it always a good idea to have a 4G compatible handset?
Some of the decision you make on this question is going to depend on where you live. Some areas of country have dense and reliable 4G coverage whereas there is sparse or no coverage in other areas. You can see that if you live in an area where you are goingto struggle to get a 4G service thenthere may be little point in investing in a 4G compatible phone.
If you aren’t going to get full benefit from it then is it really worth spending the extra money? On the other hand if you have a good 4G signal in your area then youmay feel it’s worth spending more money on a handset you are able to get the improvedservice on.
Of course, you also need to think about the future. The situation with 4G changes all thetime, with more areas being able to receive a reliable signal. You need to think about whether you want to spend money on a phone only to be thinking of replacing it again when you can benefit from 4G. Is it worthspending the extra moneynoweven if you won’t see the benefit for several months?
A major part of this decision is going to depend on how you actually use your phone. If most of your usage is in calling or texting then you may not get a lot of additional benefit from 4G. On the other hand if you have a lot of data usage on your phone you are going to notice the vast improvement in speed.
Nancy Baker
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