Lou Hattersley provides an in-depth guide to 4G
4G is the fourth-generation of mobile internet, and when you buy an Apple product that connects to mobile internet you’ll be offered the choice of a 4G or 3G service. But what is 4G and is it worth paying for? Many of our readers have a host of questions about the new service: Is 4G tangibly any better than 3G? Is 4G worth paying extra for? How much more does 4G cost over 3G? Who has the best 4G service, and so on. All of these are valid questions, so here is our guide to 4G.
What is 4G?
4G is the new cellular data connection (the bit that gives you mobile internet) and it replaces the reasonably well-known 3G. They stand for fourthgeneration and third-generation respectively. This 4G video will help explain the new service.
Is 4G better than 3G?
4G is categorically better than 3G: what it o ers is improved speed. But how much faster is 4G than 3G really? When you start to road test the new service it’s not so clear. Technically 3G o ers a theoretical download speed of 100MB/s and 4G o ers a theoretical top-speed of 1GB/s. So on paper, the 4G internet network is 10x faster than the 3G network it wants to replace. However, you’ll never see those speeds because the speed also depends on the power emitting from the cellular tower; your distance from the tower; and how many other people are using same cell phone tower as you. In central London you’ll typically see between 5MB/s and 10MB/s using an iPhone on a 3G connection. USwitch.com has a handy map showing reported speeds on di erent services around the country – tinyurl.com/kmc8ucx.
How fast is 4G?
The speed you’ll get on a 4G iPhone is undoubtedly faster than the 3G counterparts. Speeds of around 65MB are routinely reported in central London. Which is nothing to be sni ed at when compared to the regular speeds shown. Two things are worth noting, though. First of all, the latest versions of the iPhone have Dual Carrier HSDPA. (DC-HSDPA). This essentially combines two high quality 3G connections into one. So we have seen speeds averaging 20MB/s on an iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. While 65MB/s is categorically faster than 20MB/s on the iPhone and iPad, you won’t notice muchdi fference between the two when doing day-to-day tasks: email, web browsing, running most apps; even online video has maxed out well before that point. Where you might find an improvement with the faster speed is when using cloud services like iCloud, Dropbox, and so on. When sharing and syncing larger fi les the faster data connection will enable you to work faster Remember that 4G isn’t just faster than 3G, it’s also more reliable. Because the service is more powerful it typically offers a more stable connection.
How much does a 4G service cost?
When 4G fi rst launched in the UK the only provider was the, then new, company EE. This initially charged a premium price for its 4G service. Because of this 4G has something of a reputation for being high priced. This isn’t necessarily the case, though, and pricing has fallen in line. If you have an unlocked iPad, you can get the following:
Three: 1GB per month, £7.50
EE: 3GB per month, £16
Vodafone: 1GB per month, £10
O2: 1GB per month, £10
Bear in mind that these deals tend to change fairly quickly as the companies react to each other’s pricing strategy. So keep an eye on the various companies.
Will I get a 4G connection in my area?
The service you get in your area depends largely on which supplier you go with. I started setting its network up fi rst, so it has the widest area of coverage. Vodafone and Three are still rolling out their network, although the situation is rapidly improving. If you want to see what the coverage is like in your area you can use a services online coverage checkers.
Is 4G worth paying for?
It largely depends on your area, but we think 4G is worth paying the extra for. Especially if you’re on the Three network which has rolled it into its current pricing strategy (so you’re not really being asked to pay extra). But it does depend on how much 4G is in your area, if you live or work in an area with a good 4G connection you’ll will benefi t from the new service. But if not you’ll end up paying extra just to use the same 3G connection as before.
