Database Users

AT&T Note vs International Note (Processor Speed vs Data Speed)

I know that some topics touched upon this a briefly but I wanted to know from the experts what they think. I'm about to purchase the international Note because of the better processor it has but it doesn't have LTE. Is LTE worth it to get the AT&T version? I'm on a tier plan so... does it even matter?
My choices are get the international version now without LTE or wait for the AT&T version with slower processor but with LTE.
It's such a hard decision...why can't the AT&T have better processor and this wouldn't even matter then, I would just get the AT&T version.
So... I guess it boils down to if one wants either faster processor or faster data speed. Which one would I benefit more from?

ckyllr said:
I know that some topics touched upon this a briefly but I wanted to know from the experts what they think. I'm about to purchase the international Note because of the better processor it has but it doesn't have LTE. Is LTE worth it to get the AT&T version? I'm on a tier plan so... does it even matter?
My choices are get the international version now without LTE or wait for the AT&T version with slower processor but with LTE.
It's such a hard decision...why can't the AT&T have better processor and this wouldn't even matter then, I would just get the AT&T version.
So... I guess it boils down to if one wants either faster processor or faster data speed. Which one would I benefit more from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would suggest reading my thread over in the general forum about buying subsidized vs unlocked devices. There's a lot more at play than LTE or processor used. But in the end it's your money!

Thanks for the link Jade Eyed Wolf. I thought you looked familiar... you were always in the galaxy tab forums...haha... just like me. I agree with 100% about buying unlocked phones but they are always higher price. Since, I don't have a choice in carriers, I'm always sort of locked to AT&T so I don't mind signing up a contract with them.
Anyway, back to topic for me is the trade off here... processor speed vs data speed... what benefits you more?
By the way, that's what happened to me.. I had the AT&T galaxy tab.. couldn't use it as a phone so I flashed to custom rom to use it and then had to switch to tier plan since I couldn't use my grandfathered unlimited plan. I wish I could have not done that but it's too late to reverse it. I figured out how to change my IMEI number but damage has already been done. Should have kept my unlimited plan.

I am in the same boat. For me to get the international version I would need to get the iPhone on contract and sell it via eBay and hope not to get scammed. Then buy the international version with that money. I would also have to worry about any type of defects requiring an exchange or repair. I heard its a pain to deal with. With Samsung products its hard to have confidence that something wont go wrong with the device.
So is it worth it?

ckyllr said:
Thanks for the link Jade Eyed Wolf. I thought you looked familiar... you were always in the galaxy tab forums...haha... just like me. I agree with 100% about buying unlocked phones but they are always higher price. Since, I don't have a choice in carriers, I'm always sort of locked to AT&T so I don't mind signing up a contract with them.
Anyway, back to topic for me is the trade off here... processor speed vs data speed... what benefits you more?
By the way, that's what happened to me.. I had the AT&T galaxy tab.. couldn't use it as a phone so I flashed to custom rom to use it and then had to switch to tier plan since I couldn't use my grandfathered unlimited plan. I wish I could have not done that but it's too late to reverse it. I figured out how to change my IMEI number but damage has already been done. Should have kept my unlimited plan.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The bigger my name becomes on XDA, the better! I may not be a developer (yet), but that doesn't mean I won't help people when and where I can!
Actually, I think there's still a loophole where if you can get your hands on an original 1st generation iPhone, you can register it with an unlimited data account, and once you have that you can go back to using whatever "appropriate" unlimited data plan you need! I would Google that!
Also, even if I were in your shoes, I would still buy unlocked anyway for things like absence of carrier bloat and AT&T's specific hardware customization's (you'll have WAY better community support and development if you get the international version).
Anyway, on the topic of data speed vs processor speed, here's my logic:
With regard to mobile data, you said you're on a tiered data plan. So that means you have (I'm assuming) 4GB of data per month before you start running into $10/GB territory. Another user in another thread argued that the bandwidth doesn't affect how much actual data they were actually using in a given period, just how quickly they were getting to their content.
Theoretically, I can see the point of this argument. However, unless you're extremely data-conscious of your usage, being on LTE will make it VERY easy to go through a LOT of data very quickly. Streaming HD video and music, downloading big files, pictures, tethering, etc.
Personally I think that LTE on a tiered plan is a complete waste. I have used the slow car/fast car analogy before, but I think a more appropriate analogy would be like comparing a car to a full sized tractor trailer, both going the same speed. Both can carry 4GB of stuff in one trip. The car might be just about filled up to the brim at 4GB, but it gets the job done. If you need to spend a little extra to make another trip, ok fine.
On the other hand, with the truck, you're still paying for that same 4GB of stuff, but it's only taking up a small little corner of its trailer, with all that wasted capacity just being empty air. Oh you can still use it up to capacity, but you'll pay through the nose for it, even though the truck is still making that one trip.
Hence, as it is, LTE is a complete waste, unless they start offering like 250GB/month tiered plans, or something similar to what you'd pay for cable or FiOS or DSL (because the speeds are basically on par with those now).
Now, as for CPU performance, I can't speak for the S3 chipset based on any personal experience, because I haven't really had any. I can, however, say that the Exynos chip is a BEAST! Especially for things like 3D gaming and HD video. Seriously. It'll chew through high bitrate 1080p like is was nothing!
Either way though, your mileage may vary.
I would still recommend getting unlocked for all the reasons mentioned in the other thread.

Depends on what you use you phone for. Processor or data? Gaming, multitasking, video editing etc the processor is key. If you are streaming, browsing, tethering, etc then LTE.
Without unlimited data, LTE could be expensive if you say screw wifi, my LTE is faster so I won't use wifi. I have unlimited but have not gone over 2.5 GB because wifi is everywhere. LTE is indeed fast and the signal penetration is better. With my GNote on hspa+ I do not find myself wishing for LTE again because of wifi everywhere.
The processor difference with the SGSII and skyrocket was minimal. With a 1.4 GHz exynos and a HD screen, it will be interesting to see if the snapdragon can keep up with the demands of the GNote vs the SGSII.
Of course if you are up for an upgrade it is an easier decision. I know many people are pushing unlocked etc on this issue but in reality 95% of people are going for what is less expensive period. The only time the unlocked versus locked matters is if you are buying with ATT off contract.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using XDA App

planoman said:
Of course if you are up for an upgrade it is an easier decision. I know many people are pushing unlocked etc on this issue but in reality 95% of people are going for what is less expensive period. The only time the unlocked versus locked matters is if you are buying with ATT off contract.
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Exactly... I'm very price conscience and if AT&T did offer the Note for say $199 (highly unlikely..more like $299)...then the price between this and uncontract note is like $400 to $500 (closer to $500 since the price has been steadily going up in the last few days! yikes... better buy soon if I want the uncontract Note) and that makes a big difference especially if you were going to stay with AT&T regardless.
Or like the earlier poster said that you could get the iphone 4 or 4S to sell it and say it to recoup some of the cost for the international Note....hmmm...decisions decisions... I am leaning towards the international Note since I don't stream much and I'm on a tier plan so... that extra processor speed for games and HD movie watching can come in handy.
Regardless... thanks everyone for chiming in. I will make a decision by end of the day.... (Luckily I locked a Note on Amazon for $698 which hasn't shipped yet but can cancel anytime.)

i will trade my intl note for att note when it comes out in case anyone is interested.

If money were not an object, I would prefer the better processor just because the screen is so large.

ckyllr said:
Exactly... I'm very price conscience and if AT&T did offer the Note for say $199 (highly unlikely..more like $299)...then the price between this and uncontract note is like $400 to $500 (closer to $500 since the price has been steadily going up in the last few days! yikes... better buy soon if I want the uncontract Note) and that makes a big difference especially if you were going to stay with AT&T regardless.
Or like the earlier poster said that you could get the iphone 4 or 4S to sell it and say it to recoup some of the cost for the international Note....hmmm...decisions decisions... I am leaning towards the international Note since I don't stream much and I'm on a tier plan so... that extra processor speed for games and HD movie watching can come in handy.
Regardless... thanks everyone for chiming in. I will make a decision by end of the day.... (Luckily I locked a Note on Amazon for $698 which hasn't shipped yet but can cancel anytime.)
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Click to collapse
So do you think it is worth going through the trouble of importing the note and selling the iPhone?
I also think battery life is going to be a huge deal here as well. They did not increase the battery size for lte, that was disappointing. We could be looking at quite adifference in battery life with lte. I don't want another phone that is tethered to a charger like my current inspire.

Corriewf said:
So do you think it is worth going through the trouble of importing the note and selling the iPhone?
I also think battery life is going to be a huge deal here as well. They did not increase the battery size for lte, that was disappointing. We could be looking at quite adifference in battery life with lte. I don't want another phone that is tethered to a charger like my current inspire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will say that the APQ8060 is more power efficient in general than Exynos, before you factor in whatever LTE connectivity will cost your battery life.

I had and returned a Rogers galaxy s2 lte (same as skyrocket). It was not as smooth as my note. And you have to take into account that the note has 3 times as many pixels to push out compared to gs2.
Also, I had the captivate, which is Rogers/att's version of original galaxy s. While there was and still is decent dev support, it paled in comparison to the international version.
Sent from my GT-N7000

Corriewf said:
So do you think it is worth going through the trouble of importing the note and selling the iPhone?
I also think battery life is going to be a huge deal here as well. They did not increase the battery size for lte, that was disappointing. We could be looking at quite adifference in battery life with lte. I don't want another phone that is tethered to a charger like my current inspire.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No good thing in life comes for free. If you want something good, you have to work to get it!
Buying/selling an iPhone as a means of obtaining something more desired may be a hassle to some, but well worth the reward to others.
I suppose the degree of work one decides to go through to get what they want is an indicator of sorts for how lazy/apathetic they are. Like an AT&T iPhone. If you don't want to jump through any hoops to get one unlocked, and you just don't care enough about possibly making it better, then it's well suited to you. As for an unlocked Android, sure it may not be perfect right our of the box, but with a little bit of effort and care, it can potentially be even more perfect than the iPhone! It's all about what you're willing to work for.
American consumers are (mostly) too lazy and/or apathetic when it comes to our demands, our expectations, and what we're willing to do to meet those. That's why our subsidized devices suck compared to the rest of the world. That's why our rate plans are gouging us through the eyeballs for every little thing. Because not enough of us care to push back against the giants when they start screwing us over, because that'd be too much of a "hassle." We'd rather just roll over and put up with the higher costs for less service.
Buy hey, we get cheaper phones up front! They may not be as good, sure, but they're cheaper today!
Yeah we may be making up for the overall cost later on, but hey, they're cheaper today!
Sure, the carrier is loading CIQ, and other bloat onto my device that I can't (easily) remove... But it's cheaper!
I know I'm paying $80 or $100 or even more than that a month, when I really could be getting the same, or better level of service for ~$40 a month instead... BUT I GOT MY PHONE FOR SO MUCH LESS!!!!
*sigh* This sucks...

It is about your needs, about your pockets ($$$$) and about your local conditions.
Are you a bandwidth fanatic and are able to pay for it, or do you want a faster processor and 21 MBPS is enough for you?
Do not expect that your carrier gives you LTE for the same price as 3G.
Usually they ask more, much more for LTE speeds.
So do you need LTE and can you pay for LTE?
And what about LTE coverage in your area? Not all areas have LTE coverage or they have LTE coverage but it is not good. And how crowded is your LTE area?
If your local LTE network has too many users, the speed is slow as 3G.
Mobile bandwidth is always a shared bandwidth you share with everyone in your area.
And do you need very very fast internet on the move? Or do you need very very fast Internet only at home? If you want it at home it is cheaper and more reliable to take very fast cable internet, not LTE.
If you have no high speed internet options except LTE, and you do not need it on the move, it is smarter to get a LTE/Wifi router that takes the LTE and gives it to your Note as Wifi. In that case it is better to take the Note international version even if you want to use LTE, because you are not moving.
If you are a pirate that is downloading blu-rays from the net and are able to pay a lte contract and are constantly moving to escape the FBI and there is good LTE coverage in your area, take the Note i717.
If you are going to use the net just to surf and/or you can not pay for an expensive LTE contract and/or the LTE coverage in your area sucks and/or you do not need high internet speed on the move, buy the international version.
In Korea they are pissed off because most can not pay for LTE contracts, have 3G, but Samsung will not sell the non-LTE Exynos version there.
So they have to buy the LTE version but do not use LTE.
For most people, the international version is better. Faster machine with fast internet. Who needs 100000 kbps on his phone, on the move?
Is your life so short that you can not wait 5 minutes for a download to finish?
And you never really reach those high LTE speeds, they are theoretical max speeds that you usually do not reach in real life on the internet of today.
Internet speed is based on the speed of the weakest link. So if your connection to the local link is very fast but between you and the computer you want to reach there is a slower link (the normal situation today), your maximum speed will be the speed of that slow link.
Some will buy the LTE version because they think like this they are more "future proof". In other words their Note will still be valuable in some years when everyone uses only LTE.
That is not a good idea. In some years, when everyone uses LTE, your Note will suck because of AMOLED burn in and because Smartphones will be 10 times faster then today. So do not expect to use the Note for too long.
I know it is a long answer, but there are many variables as you see.

LTE is a big deal to those of us who are grand fathered into unlimited data and pay the same $30 per months for LTE. It's really nice for streaming music at work.

Unlocked phones are always better. That's understandable.
However, for some, even if money is not an issue, it's simply a question of whether it's worth it.
You're paying $600 ~ 700 for the phone. Your monthly phone rate doesn't change drastically. It's not like your plan is going to drop by $30 a month for using an unlocked phone.
I can get either the Amaze 4G or the SGS2 for free on T-Mobile. Getting it unlocked would cost me at least 4 ~ 5 benjamins. No matter how you spin it, after 2 years, even after denying the insurance, it's still more expensive to purchase an unlocked version of these phones.
So unless if using a carrier unlocked phone results in my monthly bill being substantially lower, unlocked phones will always be more expensive within the USA.
Your rationale as posted in the other general section only applies to countries where companies only provide the service and customers must obtain their own cellphones. I don't see this ever changing in the USA.
Moral of the story? Buy an unlocked cellphone if and only if you are really into cellphones. If you're just a casual user but enjoy using smartphones, there is very little significant pragmatic difference between a carrier branded and unlocked cellphone for all practical purpose in your life.
Lastly, you said it yourself. Don't expect to use your Note for too long. Then why pay more money over X phones that a user keeps switching to? Doesn't make any good economic sense to me.
legion1911 said:
It is about your needs, about your pockets ($$$$) and about your local conditions.
Are you a bandwidth fanatic and are able to pay for it, or do you want a faster processor and 21 MBPS is enough for you?
Do not expect that your carrier gives you LTE for the same price as 3G.
Usually they ask more, much more for LTE speeds.
So do you need LTE and can you pay for LTE?
And what about LTE coverage in your area? Not all areas have LTE coverage or they have LTE coverage but it is not good. And how crowded is your LTE area?
If your local LTE network has too many users, the speed is slow as 3G.
Mobile bandwidth is always a shared bandwidth you share with everyone in your area.
And do you need very very fast internet on the move? Or do you need very very fast Internet only at home? If you want it at home it is cheaper and more reliable to take very fast cable internet, not LTE.
If you have no high speed internet options except LTE, and you do not need it on the move, it is smarter to get a LTE/Wifi router that takes the LTE and gives it to your Note as Wifi. In that case it is better to take the Note international version even if you want to use LTE, because you are not moving.
If you are a pirate that is downloading blu-rays from the net and are able to pay a lte contract and are constantly moving to escape the FBI and there is good LTE coverage in your area, take the Note i717.
If you are going to use the net just to surf and/or you can not pay for an expensive LTE contract and/or the LTE coverage in your area sucks and/or you do not need high internet speed on the move, buy the international version.
In Korea they are pissed off because most can not pay for LTE contracts, have 3G, but Samsung will not sell the non-LTE Exynos version there.
So they have to buy the LTE version but do not use LTE.
For most people, the international version is better. Faster machine with fast internet. Who needs 100000 kbps on his phone, on the move?
Is your life so short that you can not wait 5 minutes for a download to finish?
And you never really reach those high LTE speeds, they are theoretical max speeds that you usually do not reach in real life on the internet of today.
Internet speed is based on the speed of the weakest link. So if your connection to the local link is very fast but between you and the computer you want to reach there is a slower link (the normal situation today), your maximum speed will be the speed of that slow link.
Some will buy the LTE version because they think like this they are more "future proof". In other words their Note will still be valuable in some years when everyone uses only LTE.
That is not a good idea. In some years, when everyone uses LTE, your Note will suck because of AMOLED burn in and because Smartphones will be 10 times faster then today. So do not expect to use the Note for too long.
I know it is a long answer, but there are many variables as you see.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Jade Eyed Wolf said:
No good thing in life comes for free. If you want something good, you have to work to get it!
Buying/selling an iPhone as a means of obtaining something more desired may be a hassle to some, but well worth the reward to others.
I suppose the degree of work one decides to go through to get what they want is an indicator of sorts for how lazy/apathetic they are. Like an AT&T iPhone. If you don't want to jump through any hoops to get one unlocked, and you just don't care enough about possibly making it better, then it's well suited to you. As for an unlocked Android, sure it may not be perfect right our of the box, but with a little bit of effort and care, it can potentially be even more perfect than the iPhone! It's all about what you're willing to work for.
American consumers are (mostly) too lazy and/or apathetic when it comes to our demands, our expectations, and what we're willing to do to meet those. That's why our subsidized devices suck compared to the rest of the world. That's why our rate plans are gouging us through the eyeballs for every little thing. Because not enough of us care to push back against the giants when they start screwing us over, because that'd be too much of a "hassle." We'd rather just roll over and put up with the higher costs for less service.
Buy hey, we get cheaper phones up front! They may not be as good, sure, but they're cheaper today!
Yeah we may be making up for the overall cost later on, but hey, they're cheaper today!
Sure, the carrier is loading CIQ, and other bloat onto my device that I can't (easily) remove... But it's cheaper!
I know I'm paying $80 or $100 or even more than that a month, when I really could be getting the same, or better level of service for ~$40 a month instead... BUT I GOT MY PHONE FOR SO MUCH LESS!!!!
*sigh* This sucks...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What?!?! Maybe I need to sell what you're smoking and buy both versions. There is a difference between being lazy and being practical ok! I'm looking at leg work and fees to sell items. I'm also looking at a lack of warranty or one that is less practical. Its Samsung, their quality control is not great.

I should have also mentioned price as well. $199-$299 vs. $700 to $1000... Amazon just raised their price from $708 to $899 which I believe is retail. Obviously they don't have any in stock but that shows you that for some reason there is a greater demand for these right now.
I'm with AT&T for awhile so contract price or uncontract price means nothing to me. But at least I can get the iphone 4 (or 4s) and sell it to cover the difference above even though that would require more work on my part.
I think I'm going to take a chance and keep my order for the international Note.
Here are the reasons why:
1) I can have it now! versus whenever AT&T decides to release theirs.
2) Faster processor speed for my HD movies and games
3) Physical home button. I have the Captivate and I hate the capacitance buttons.
4) I don't need LTE speeds since I only use data to surf the web and email purposes since I don't stream movies or music. HSPA+ should suffice.
5) Bragging rights and showing off to friends before the AT&T version comes out since it will loose its appeal once it's available here in the states.
6) I can enjoy without bloatware crap and also faster updates as well. (My Captivate just got GB update...WTF? year and half later?)
7) Bigger dev community for custom roms and such and support from XDA.
8) This is speculations only but maybe better battery life? I hope AT&T and their LTE version will have sucky battery life and we can all laugh at their inferior Note.

The only thing I saw that was relevant was point 7).
Everything else seemed like self-justification rationale to me to have it now. Lawl.
ckyllr said:
I should have also mentioned price as well. $199-$299 vs. $700 to $1000... Amazon just raised their price from $708 to $899 which I believe is retail. Obviously they don't have any in stock but that shows you that for some reason there is a greater demand for these right now.
I'm with AT&T for awhile so contract price or uncontract price means nothing to me. But at least I can get the iphone 4 (or 4s) and sell it to cover the difference above even though that would require more work on my part.
I think I'm going to take a chance and keep my order for the international order.
Here are the reasons why:
1) I can have it now! versus whenever AT&T decides to release theirs.
2) Faster processor speed for my HD movies and games
3) Physical home button. I have the Captivate and I hate the capacitance buttons.
4) I don't need LTE speeds since I only use data to surf the web and email purposes since I don't stream movies or music. HSPA+ should suffice.
5) Bragging rights and showing off to friends before the AT&T version comes out since it will loose its appeal once it's available here in the states.
6) I can enjoy without bloatware crap and also faster updates as well. (My Captivate just got GB update...WTF? year and half later?)
7) Bigger dev community for custom roms and such and support from XDA.
8) This is speculations only but maybe better battery life? I hope AT&T and their LTE version will have sucky battery life and we can all laugh at their inferior Note.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I want to direct you to another thread that has some very good info
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1434845&page=12
It has some good links to Anandtech with CPU comparisons, that I will link below.
Keep in mind the comparisons were done with a GS2 clocked at 1.2ghz not 1.4ghz.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4686/samsung-galaxy-s-2-international-review-the-best-redefined/14
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4686/samsung-galaxy-s-2-international-review-the-best-redefined/17
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/505?vs=489
Hope this helps!
Update: After reading through one of the articles I saw this regarding the low triangle/geometry test scores for the Mali-400. "Luckily for ARM however, most mobile games aren't geometry bound - what we really need here is pixel processing power and that's something Mali-400 does deliver quite well."

[Q] Is having HSPA+ Instead of LTE a dealbreaker?

Long story short, I'm selling my S3 (US Variant) for the Nexus 4 (my first owned nexus device). It supports HSPA+ 42mpbs (AT&T and T-Mobile here in the states) and where I live, LTE in my area is a dream and won't be coming for awhileeee. Sure the cities have LTE and all that, but 90% of the time in my general area it doesn't offer LTE. Would you, personally, sacrifice the use of LTE for the Nexus? If they are aiming to be future proof devices then do you think that they will pull off an LTE version a couple months in the year and I'm stuck with the HSPA+ version? Or do you think Google will wait until its next Nexus to have LTE.
Remember now.. I'm talking about the US VARIANT of the S3, not the quad core INTL version.

iAndropple said:
Long story short, I'm selling my S3 (US Variant) for the Nexus 4 (my first owned nexus device). It supports HSPA+ 42mpbs (AT&T and T-Mobile here in the states) and where I live, LTE in my area is a dream and won't be coming for awhileeee. Sure the cities have LTE and all that, but 90% of the time in my general area it doesn't offer LTE. Would you, personally, sacrifice the use of LTE for the Nexus? If they are aiming to be future proof devices then do you think that they will pull off an LTE version a couple months in the year and I'm stuck with the HSPA+ version? Or do you think Google will wait until its next Nexus to have LTE.
Remember now.. I'm talking about the US VARIANT of the S3, not the quad core INTL version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I live in Germany, so I couldn't care less for LTE on the Nexus 4.
Once Germany has LTE readily available everywhere for a reasonable price, another 2 or 3 Nexus phones will probably have hit the market.
I'm getting the Nexus 4 on day one!

An emphatic NO.
I live in an LTE enabled area but refuse to pay extortionate rates for minimal usage allowances
inside a particular zone, with the phone dropping back to 3G when 4G is unavailable.
Far easier and much less expensive for me to find a free wi-fi hotspot.

No! It's gonna be a while before my area has LTE service anyway. It's by no means a deal breaker. LTE is a huge battery drainer too.

Even though they offer LTE they don't offer unlimited data. So I would easily switch to HSPA+
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

I honestly use WiFi 90% of the time.
My city just launched LTE. I currently have a Samsung Note which gets 1 bar of LTE or 5 bars of HSPA+. I've disabled LTE.
LTE has been more of a pain than anything, in my case.

Why would it be a deal breaker? if your carrier supports HSPA+ 42 you get speeds close to LTE any way. I had the LG Nitro and The SG2 Skyrocket when i visited St.Louis, MO which has LTE and both phones couldn't give me the speed my HTC Amaze does which use HSPA+ 42. IMO LTE will be a joke until carriers start to support VoLTE.

Hmm of course not, t-mobile hspa+ is as fast if not faster than verizon and att LTE ( not everywhere ik) but at least in south florida my note2 and gs3 are faster than my cousins gs3 on att LTE. just my 2 cents

Why is LTE on a phone even considered necessary by some? LTE is faster than my home internet speeds. Like nearly 10 times faster. So, what do people need that speed for on a PHONE? Downloading 1080p DVD's to your 4 inch phone screen to watch? Torrenting the latest Windows 8 release to your phone? I don't get it.
I can see the use if you use your phone as a hotspot 100% of the time and have multiple devices connected to it. But, what % of the population even does this? 1%? And your capped on data anyways....so again what's the point?

FlukerFlakes said:
Why is LTE on a phone even considered necessary by some? LTE is faster than my home internet speeds. Like nearly 10 times faster. So, what do people need that speed for on a PHONE? Downloading 1080p DVD's to your 4 inch phone screen to watch? Torrenting the latest Windows 8 release to your phone? I don't get it.
I can see the use if you use your phone as a hotspot 100% of the time and have multiple devices connected to it. But, what % of the population even does this? 1%? And your capped on data anyways....so again what's the point?
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Click to collapse
I use my phone constantly for work and personal. Anything other than LTE in Pittsburgh has horrible browsing speeds. I tether my tablets through my phone. I DO have unlimited data. Everyone keeps complaining about price but LTE plans are the same price as any other plans.
That being said. I'm still not a fan of VZW and I'll probably get a Nexus 4 and try to find a month-to-month plan to test out for a while. I'm doubting I'll stick with it but who knows.

More than 97% of my data use is over wifi, and I have pretty decent HSPA+42 access averaging 11-13Mbps where I am geographically situated. I'll take longer batter life over faster mobile data speed every time.

itznfb said:
I use my phone constantly for work and personal. Anything other than LTE in Pittsburgh has horrible browsing speeds. I tether my tablets through my phone. I DO have unlimited data. Everyone keeps complaining about price but LTE plans are the same price as any other plans.
That being said. I'm still not a fan of VZW and I'll probably get a Nexus 4 and try to find a month-to-month plan to test out for a while. I'm doubting I'll stick with it but who knows.
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If I was paying what people pay Verizon then I would expect the best....but I'm switching to Tmobile and gonna spend about 30 dollars a month. And i just need good data speed for occasional browsing and streaming on spotify. LTE just seems like overkill for what most of the population actually needs.
Also, can't justify spending over 3x more money for extensive Verizon LTE when its just not needed (at least for me)

FlukerFlakes said:
If I was paying what people pay Verizon then I would expect the best....but I'm switching to Tmobile and gonna spend about 30 dollars a month. And i just need good data speed for occasional browsing and streaming on spotify. LTE just seems like overkill for what most of the population actually needs.
Also, can't justify spending over 3x more money for extensive Verizon LTE when its just not needed (at least for me)
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The only plan I've found so far (probably the same one you're talking about) that makes me consider switching is the $30 Web Exclusive. But according to their site it seems to be a limited time thing. If I'm paying $50+ for a plan I'll just stick with my $70 VZW.

itznfb said:
The only plan I've found so far (probably the same one you're talking about) that makes me consider switching is the $30 Web Exclusive. But according to their site it seems to be a limited time thing. If I'm paying $50+ for a plan I'll just stick with my $70 VZW.
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Click to collapse
yeah that's the one im gonna start with.
also might try Slovai (sp?) for 49 a month...unlimited everything with 4GB of HSPA+ speed. plus decrease price if you get others to join

Forgot to mention, I am on AT&T's HSPA+ network, and it only supports 21Mbps

[POLL] LTE in your area, and will it affect your area?

Is LTE a big deal for you? Do you even live in the US ? What are your conditions regarding speeds in your area.

Yes LTE is a better technology... but in practice... HSPA is much more established and will give more than sufficient results:
http://www.phonearena.com/news/T-Mo...ter-than-Verizons-4G-LTE-in-11-cities_id31387
I'm not saying I'm glad the device doesn't have LTE, just that it doesn't really affect me in any way at this point in time.

I live in Vancouver, Canada where LTE is readily available and I don't use it. HSPA+ gets me plenty of speed for the /whopping/ 30 minutes a day my phone is on mobile data (commute to and from work; 15m each way). HSPA+ in Canada is from all providers and has great coverage. I regularly get 10-12Mbps. I've been testing a lot lately and I've managed to get 22Mbps and 25Mbps at certain points/times as well on HSPA+. I have zero need for anything faster than that as all I do is stream radio while walking.
I really hate how the American bias towards LTE, because your providers seem to suck, is affecting this phone. By all accounts in the reviews out there "If you don't live in the US, LTE isn't a big deal and this phone is amazing". That's enough for me. I'm on wifi for 95% of my usage anyways. 100Mbps line at home and 250Mbps line at work. Screw LTE.

Pragmata said:
I live in Vancouver, Canada where LTE is readily available and I don't use it. HSPA+ gets me plenty of speed for the /whopping/ 30 minutes a day my phone is on mobile data (commute to and from work; 15m each way). HSPA+ in Canada is from all providers and has great coverage. I regularly get 10-12Mbps. I've been testing a lot lately and I've managed to get 22Mbps and 25Mbps at certain points/times as well on HSPA+. I have zero need for anything faster than that as all I do is stream radio while walking.
I really hate how the American bias towards LTE, because your providers seem to suck, is affecting this phone. By all accounts in the reviews out there "If you don't live in the US, LTE isn't a big deal and this phone is amazing". That's enough for me. I'm on wifi for 95% of my usage anyways. 100Mbps line at home and 250Mbps line at work. Screw LTE.
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I see your point, but US providers don't "suck" lol. People are bashing LTE on this phone because so many carriers on the US already provide it.

Don't care about lte
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

iAndropple said:
I see your point, but US providers don't "suck" lol. People are bashing LTE on this phone because so many carriers on the US already provide it.
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I get that, but all the major carriers in Canada provide LTE too. The difference is all of our major carriers provide HSPA+ AND LTE so the absence of one simply means the use of the other and speeds on both are phenomenal for a bloody phone. xD I've never understood the necessity for residential internet speeds on your phone. I have a 100Mbps line at home so I can download Steam games really fast. What do people do on their phones that require LTE anyways?
My point about the "seem to suck" comment (which I admit I did say 'seem' because I don't have experience with them) is that from what I have learned, Verizon doesn't have HSPA so the lack of LTE means that the speeds then drop to 3G speeds for them? If that's accurate, a major provider not having both HSPA+ and LTE seems a bit sucky to me. I really guess I just don't understand what people need LTE for or how it affects your phone use. In terms of pure network, LTE is like getting a ferrari when you drive for maybe 5 minutes a day. HSPA+ does everything LTE does at more than acceptable speeds. If the issue is because some of the US networks coverage of HSPA+ is absent or limited, that should reflect upon the providers and not the phone.

I'm not too bothered about LTE either. Though it's available in the UK city in which I reside term-time, which is most of the time, it isn't available in my hometown where my family home is. Sure, by the time I'm done in my student city, LTE will most likely be available at "home" but by then the Nexus 4 will be old and in need of a replacement. I don't need it right now, so DC-HSPA is fine for me. More than fine, actually. Plus my phone is on WiFi most of the time anyway. ;D

TeRRa4 said:
I'm not too bothered about LTE either. Though it's available in the UK city in which I reside term-time, which is most of the time, it isn't available in my hometown where my family home is. Sure, by the time I'm done in my student city, LTE will most likely be available at "home" but by then the Nexus 4 will be old and in need of a replacement. I don't need it right now, so DC-HSPA is fine for me. More than fine, actually. Plus my phone is on WiFi most of the time anyway. ;D
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Agreed

I live in the US but LTE doesn't exist within about a 250 mile radius of where I live so HSPA+ is fine by me!

I live outside the US and LTE is just starting here. I live in the second town of my nation and the first 4G antennas will start to emit here for the public on 1st quarter 2013. Google made the Nexus S 4G, then the Verizon Galaxy Nexus 4G, so why not a Nexus 4 4G tomorrow ?:highfive:

There is a good amount of LTE in my area (SF + the surrounding area), but I suppose I don't NEED it. I've been perfectly fine without it (currently with a Motorola Atrix). However like most of you here, you want the best you can get for your area.

Pragmata said:
.... The difference is all of our major carriers provide HSPA+ AND LTE so the absence of one simply means the use of the other and speeds on both are phenomenal for a bloody phone.....What do people do on their phones that require LTE anyways?
I really guess I just don't understand what people need LTE for or how it affects your phone use.
If the issue is because some of the US networks coverage of HSPA+ is absent or limited, that should reflect upon the providers and not the phone.
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Click to collapse
1. It's the idea that Google is pushing consumers to rely more on the cloud, yet "cripple" the phone's ability to CONNECT TO the cloud by not providing LTE. I live in San Diego - we have LTE here and it works great on all my friends' IPhone 5s.
2. While LTE is certainly NOT COMMONPLACE, it is non-negotiable that it is the infrastructure of the future. HSPA+ represents the pinnacle of it's infrastructure, while LTE is the infancy stage of the a newer, higher throughput technology. As a result, you're paying however much for a phone that is not really very future proof. Regardless of how good of a deal this phone is in the near term, you kind of lose out in the long term, especially when viewed in regards to item 1.
3. Since there is no CDMA version of the Nexus 4, it won't work on Verizon or Sprint in the US anyways. T-mobile has ONLY HSPA+ and AT&T has LTE and HSPA+, with HSPA+ coverage being greater than LTE (in San Diego anyways). LTE coverage, however, is expanding, and will be much more available within the next 2 years. Therefore it's not neccessarily that HSPA+ is limited, its that LTE is limited and that's why Google has chosen to omit it from their device, which may be smart in the near term, but again limits the long term relevance of the phone.
4. As a corollary to 3, Google is really just doing the same thing LG has done with the Optimus G but in a different form. Google doesn't provide LTE, so in 2 years you really will need to buy a new phone if you want to transfer large files to and from your cloud, which you will have to do because your phone only has 8GB or 16GB of on-board storage. LG forces you to buy a new phone because they haven't provided updates to their phone since it's release on day 1 and your phone is horribly laggy and bloated and it's bootloader is locked.
This resonates much like Apple's philosophy, which we all bash them for, yet we defend Google vehemently when it does the same in a more inconspicuous way.
I'm a complete loss for what to do now because I really need a new phone lol.

I live in the USA near Washington DC and I live in strong LTE coverage by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint (allegedly). I've used LTE and while it's nice, I don't require it. In addition, I like being able to use a SIM card in any country I visit. HSPA+ is more than sufficient for me.

It doesn't bother me. I currently have Verizon and have a Galaxy Nexus. My plan for two lines and unlimited data on LTE costs me 180 USD a month. My same plan, but with more minutes would cost me 100 USD on T-Mobile. Almost double check the cost just for LTE speeds? My contract is up in January. So long, Verizon! Your business practises suck. Hspa+ isn't so bad that it's a steep departure. Half the price plus my phone is unlocked so I can switch carriers if T-Mobile starts to play games with my bill? Awesome.

I'm on TMo and there is no LTE.
So, I can care less atm.

TeRRa4 said:
I'm not too bothered about LTE either. Though it's available in the UK city in which I reside term-time, which is most of the time, it isn't available in my hometown where my family home is. Sure, by the time I'm done in my student city, LTE will most likely be available at "home" but by then the Nexus 4 will be old and in need of a replacement. I don't need it right now, so DC-HSPA is fine for me. More than fine, actually. Plus my phone is on WiFi most of the time anyway. ;D
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Has anyone actually tested the ee network in the real world yet? Here in the UK LTE has finally started to rollout but at the launch event the speeds were not that impressive anyway. Anyway at £26 a month for 500mb i think LTE won't be that popular here for some time when three are offering decent speeds with all you can eat data for £10
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using Tapatalk 2

dontdo_that said:
1. It's the idea that Google is pushing consumers to rely more on the cloud, yet "cripple" the phone's ability to CONNECT TO the cloud by not providing LTE. I live in San Diego - we have LTE here and it works great on all my friends' IPhone 5s.
2. While LTE is certainly NOT COMMONPLACE, it is non-negotiable that it is the infrastructure of the future. HSPA+ represents the pinnacle of it's infrastructure, while LTE is the infancy stage of the a newer, higher throughput technology. As a result, you're paying however much for a phone that is not really very future proof. Regardless of how good of a deal this phone is in the near term, you kind of lose out in the long term, especially when viewed in regards to item 1.
3. Since there is no CDMA version of the Nexus 4, it won't work on Verizon or Sprint in the US anyways. T-mobile has ONLY HSPA+ and AT&T has LTE and HSPA+, with HSPA+ coverage being greater than LTE (in San Diego anyways). LTE coverage, however, is expanding, and will be much more available within the next 2 years. Therefore it's not neccessarily that HSPA+ is limited, its that LTE is limited and that's why Google has chosen to omit it from their device, which may be smart in the near term, but again limits the long term relevance of the phone.
4. As a corollary to 3, Google is really just doing the same thing LG has done with the Optimus G but in a different form. Google doesn't provide LTE, so in 2 years you really will need to buy a new phone if you want to transfer large files to and from your cloud, which you will have to do because your phone only has 8GB or 16GB of on-board storage. LG forces you to buy a new phone because they haven't provided updates to their phone since it's release on day 1 and your phone is horribly laggy and bloated and it's bootloader is locked.
This resonates much like Apple's philosophy, which we all bash them for, yet we defend Google vehemently when it does the same in a more inconspicuous way.
I'm a complete loss for what to do now because I really need a new phone lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You make great points and I definitely understand where you are coming from, I would still argue that the speeds HSPA+ provides are more than enough for at least the next year and whether your carrier supports that or not is more on them and less on the manufacturer.
That said, I do have a couple follow-ups cause I think you raised some good points and I'm interested in getting your thoughts.
A) At (max) 350$, do you feel that you really wouldn't be opposed to upgrading in a years time when there could potentially be a new Nexus with LTE? For me 350$ is a steal when I regularly buy a new phone every year for 600+. I know not everyone upgrades on a yearly cadence, but if present and future Nexi were priced around that point, I think it might be something more widely adopted. Perhaps this isn't meant to be a "long-term" phone? Obivously the base argument is that you would want something to last, but if it's affordable why not speed up the upgrade cycle?
B) If we disregard carrier failings and just pit HSPA+ against LTE, I don't see how HSPA+ would be such a deprecated technology that it will be irrelevant within 2 years. Sure, LTE will be bigger and better by then with more coverage, but by no means is HSPA+ something to scoff at. A potential 42Mbps on your phone EASILY gives you all the Cloud throughput you need. I had a 50Mbps residential line for my home internet before upgrading to 100Mbps and I can tell you thinks moved seamlessly. 42Mbps is hardly something that won't let you push and pull content on the Cloud. So you might say that you don't get nearly that on X's network, but that isn't reflective of the technology itself. Maybe X just needs to improve their HSPA+ networks while working on LTE.
I kind of see it like the CPU progress on desktop computers. HSPA+ represents a Dual Core/Quad Core CPU that can be clocked at 4Ghz. Even in mainstream computing today most games/apps/programs barely take advantage of a full optimized Dual Core high clock CPU, yet manufacturers are pushing out Hexa- and even Octo-Core CPU's at low clock rates. Those are like LTE. It's going to be a WHILE before we can properly use 16 threads and 4Ghz of speed on a CPU. And just because those CPU's exist, doesn't mean someone should not buy a Dual/Quad Core CPU. Sure, you can't add more cores to it so it's not "future-proof", but we don't even take full advantage of it yet...
C) I'm still curious at what LTE users like yourself are pushing that you feel pressured in the near future that HSPA+ won't provide (again disregarding shortcomings of providers). Myself, I don't do any media use on my phone so I'm obviously the opposite, but even imagining if I was streaming video and pushing lots of media, I can't forsee the need for a connection faster than what I have to my home. The only possible thing I was able to think of is someone with an unlimited data plan (doesn't exist in Canada) that uses their cell connection as their internet connection and tether their computer through it 100% of the time. Just pure curiosity as per what LTE people push.
I suppose most of this all comes down to the provider limitations and as such necessity for LTE, but I'd be more upset at my provider than the manufacturer. Google has built a worldwide product that can reach amazing speeds on HSPA+ networks. I know America is a powerhouse, but you aren't the be-all-end-all in deciding how a phone should be made. LTE has a lot of reach in Canada on all major providers, but they all also have HSPA+ with great coverage. Only people on smaller or piggyback providers are losing out on LTE, but everyone has HSPA. Maybe the American providers should stop fighting with each other over proprietary LTE spectrums.
If you are hankering for a new phone and don't want this, I'd probably say the Razr Maxx or One X+. Those are my runner ups (Once they finally hit Canadian borders) Since you are on these forums I'll disregard suggesting the locked bootloader Optimus G.

I don't understand this.
LTE is available only in USA and a small amount of other countries as a whole. the world isn't only USA and the 10% places. They've made our such a big issue for everyone, and all the reviewers are complaining about no LTE like every country in the world has it.
There is world outside USA you know...

I don't care for LTE and micro SD slot. I just want this phone in my hands already!

UK here. 4G on just one network in only 10 cities. The lack of 4G means nothing to us Brits!

[Q] Are carriers responsible for blocking voice on tablets?

I'd love a 7 inch tablet that functions as a phone. But it seems something is not allowing the Nexus 7 to receive voice/texting only mobile data.
Is this a hardware thing? Does it lack some sort of radio or is this just the carriers messing with us?
I does make you wonder.... New Galaxy Note 2 (no contract) $650. Nexus 7 $300 (HSPA+) Why is the phone so much more expensive? I get that the phone has a few more chips and is smaller, but it can't be that much more expensive..
Does anyone know of any 7 inch tablets that allow voice telephony? I'm not talking about google voice, I'm talking about standard cellular voice/texting. I have no interest in carrying around my phone, I just want a tablet that does it all.

Really?:silly: It should be obvious that the lack of cellular phone hardware is the reason behind this. Also, making things smaller is almost always more expensive.

Miami_Son said:
Really?:silly: It should be obvious that the lack of cellular phone hardware is the reason behind this. Also, making things smaller is almost always more expensive.
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But what hardware is lacking? isn't an hspa+ modem capable of making voice calls?

omniphil said:
But what hardware is lacking? isn't an hspa+ modem capable of making voice calls?
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What you are referring to as a modem is, in actuality, separate from the cellular radio that transmits on one or several frequencies in order to make phone calls. When you consider the range required for a phone to be able to make reliable connections to cell towers and compare that to the short range of the modem the phone uses to connect to wireless routers, you begin to understand the complexity and disparities in price and performance. Or not.

Miami_Son said:
What you are referring to as a modem is, in actuality, separate from the cellular radio that transmits on one or several frequencies in order to make phone calls. When you consider the range required for a phone to be able to make reliable connections to cell towers and compare that to the short range of the modem the phone uses to connect to wireless routers, you begin to understand the complexity and disparities in price and performance. Or not.
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Just making sure, you are aware he's talking about the 3G Nexus 7 right?

Nospin said:
Just making sure, you are aware he's talking about the 3G Nexus 7 right?
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Actually, I didn't since he never mentioned 3G in his OP. Still, the radios designed for a 3G data signal are not the same as those required for telephony, which no tablet has because they do not have the hardware. Only AT$T's network supports simultaneous voice and data, by the way.

Ok. He did mention 3g HSPA+.. And ATT is not the only network that allows simultaneous voice and data. With my evo 4g lte I could make calls and surf the Web on 3g. Just read this and thought I'd let you know. As far as making phone calls on your tablet you can. Just download Groove ip and Google voice and there ya go. I know it's not as reliable and a little hassle but I don't think many people would invest into having a tablet as a phone. . At least not yet. ..seems bigger is coming back. I have me note 2 on sprint and love it. .
Sent from my GN2

Miami_Son said:
Actually, I didn't since he never mentioned 3G in his OP. Still, the radios designed for a 3G data signal are not the same as those required for telephony, which no tablet has because they do not have the hardware. Only AT$T's network supports simultaneous voice and data, by the way.
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The 3g has the Intel xmm 6260 chipset. The very same one that is in your s2. It is an all-in-one radio supporting voice as well as hspa+. There is a Dev thread about trying to unlock the telephony features in the chip since it was crippled by Asus or google on purpose.

Here in Canada on Rogers network we can do exactly that with the Rogers one number app. This app let's you make or receive calls text or receive text and video calling, free long distances in Canada, all that on my tablet with the same phone number as my cellphone and best part of all that it's free So it is possible, the closest you could get is Skype with a skypein number so you could receive calls...
Sent from my Nexus 7 3G

omniphil said:
I'd love a 7 inch tablet that functions as a phone. But it seems something is not allowing the Nexus 7 to receive voice/texting only mobile data.
Is this a hardware thing? Does it lack some sort of radio or is this just the carriers messing with us?
I does make you wonder.... New Galaxy Note 2 (no contract) $650. Nexus 7 $300 (HSPA+) Why is the phone so much more expensive? I get that the phone has a few more chips and is smaller, but it can't be that much more expensive..
Does anyone know of any 7 inch tablets that allow voice telephony? I'm not talking about google voice, I'm talking about standard cellular voice/texting. I have no interest in carrying around my phone, I just want a tablet that does it all.
Click to expand...
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Galaxy Tab GT-P1000 or Galaxy Tab 7.7 GT-P6800 does that out of the box. Works on both T-Mobile and AT&T networks in US. I have used both with Orange and Vodafone in Europe.

Witek_M said:
Galaxy Tab GT-P1000 or Galaxy Tab 7.7 GT-P6800 does that out of the box. Works on both T-Mobile and AT&T networks in US. I have used both with Orange and Vodafone in Europe.
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Excellent, just what I was looking for... Thank you!
I am keeping my eyes peeled for the Galaxy Note 7.7

using 3G data during a call S4

After checking in to why this would not work I was told that it just isn't supported. You can use 4G and wifi data duringa call but not 3G. It's a little bit ofa draw back for me. I was just wondering what any one else's thoughts where on this?
I do like the phone so far other than this.

tman73 said:
After checking in to why this would not work I was told that it just isn't supported. You can use 4G and wifi data duringa call but not 3G. It's a little bit ofa draw back for me. I was just wondering what any one else's thoughts where on this?
I do like the phone so far other than this.
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I'm taking a chance on sounding silly, but that's just the way it is on CDMA networks. You can only do one or the other on 3G: voice or data. Being able to use voice and data simultaneously is a perk of 4G, LTE or wifi. Of course, if you have no LTE available where you are, or no wifi, it's voice or data. I know it's frustrating. I live in Minneapolis, Uptown area. We never did get very good Wimax at our house, especially indoors.
When the LTE phones came out, I was in no hurry to upgrade, as there was no LTE anywhere in the Twin Cities. No one could hazard a guess as to when it would be rolled out. The Evo LTE has been out for almost a year, and LTE is finally becoming available. It's still pretty spotty, though. The good thing is, even with a weak signal at my house, I still can get nearly 5000kbps down inside my house. That's a lot better than 3G for sure! Sprint is saying we'll have LTE pretty much throughout the city in the next couple of months. I'll believe that when I see it.
I like my S 4 pretty well. It's still strange getting used to Touch Whiz after Sense. I moved to the S 4 after having the original Evo and then the Evo 3D. I'm looking forward to rooting and being able to run custom ROMS on my S 4.

smarcin said:
I'm taking a chance on sounding silly, but that's just the way it is on CDMA networks. You can only do one or the other on 3G: voice or data. Being able to use voice and data simultaneously is a perk of 4G, LTE or wifi. Of course, if you have no LTE available where you are, or no wifi, it's voice or data. I know it's frustrating. I live in Minneapolis, Uptown area. We never did get very good Wimax at our house, especially indoors.
...
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That's not exactly accurate. Some phones can do simultaneous CDMA voice and data. However, it requires extra complexity in the phone (what's called "multiple paths") and with Sprint going to LTE, they decided to put a separate transmit path in the device just for LTE (and Wi-Fi).

smarcin said:
I'm taking a chance on sounding silly, but that's just the way it is on CDMA networks. You can only do one or the other on 3G: voice or data. Being able to use voice and data simultaneously is a perk of 4G, LTE or wifi. Of course, if you have no LTE available where you are, or no wifi, it's voice or data. I know it's frustrating. I live in Minneapolis, Uptown area. We never did get very good Wimax at our house, especially indoors.
When the LTE phones came out, I was in no hurry to upgrade, as there was no LTE anywhere in the Twin Cities. No one could hazard a guess as to when it would be rolled out. The Evo LTE has been out for almost a year, and LTE is finally becoming available. It's still pretty spotty, though. The good thing is, even with a weak signal at my house, I still can get nearly 5000kbps down inside my house. That's a lot better than 3G for sure! Sprint is saying we'll have LTE pretty much throughout the city in the next couple of months. I'll believe that when I see it.
I like my S 4 pretty well. It's still strange getting used to Touch Whiz after Sense. I moved to the S 4 after having the original Evo and then the Evo 3D. I'm looking forward to rooting and being able to run custom ROMS on my S 4.
Click to expand...
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There's no harm in sounding silly. :silly: We forgive you.
The Sprint S3 and Evo 4G LTE both do it, it's called SVDO, simultaneous voice and EVDO 3G data (and ofcourse simultaneous voice and LTE and or WiFi).
For some reason, Sprint decided to fore-go SVDO on LTE phones after those two (S3 and Evo 4G LTE) and instead focus on SVLTE. To be fair, in all the years i've been with Sprint (13) i never thought i would ever need or use that feature until i got the S3. The first time i unknowingly used it i didn't even realize that while on a call, i was playing WordFeud multiplayer. It's something i do all the time now, and definitely sad to see it gone on the newer phones.
As their LTE network gets more robust and mature, it won't be much of an issue, but as of now 3G is in more places than their LTE network is. So...

LordLugard said:
There's no harm in sounding silly. :silly: We forgive you.
The Sprint S3 and Evo 4G LTE both do it, it's called SVDO, simultaneous voice and EVDO 3G data (and ofcourse simultaneous voice and LTE and or WiFi).
For some reason, Sprint decided to fore-go SVDO on LTE phones after those two (S3 and Evo 4G LTE) and instead focus on SVLTE. To be fair, in all the years i've been with Sprint (13) i never thought i would ever need or use that feature until i got the S3. The first time i unknowingly used it i didn't even realize that while on a call, i was playing WordFeud multiplayer. It's something i do all the time now, and definitely sad to see it gone on the newer phones.
As their LTE network gets more robust and mature, it won't be much of an issue, but as of now 3G is in more places than their LTE network is. So...
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Thanks to both you guys for setting me straight. I was parroting what I'd always heard from the OG Evo (which I had) and then the 3D, which I just left. Of course, you couldn't do SVDO on either. On the 3D, though, you could do a call + data if on 4G (Wimax), which was and still is, pretty spotty here in Minneapolis-St Paul. Of course, Sprint has been rolling out LTE for a while now. It appears, then disappears a lot. Unfortunately 3G has been awful for months. I will be so thankful when LTE is finally and fully deployed!

No problem, welcome. We are all here to help and learn from each other along the way. :good:

smarcin said:
Thanks to both you guys for setting me straight. I was parroting what I'd always heard from the OG Evo (which I had) and then the 3D, which I just left. Of course, you couldn't do SVDO on either. On the 3D, though, you could do a call + data if on 4G (Wimax), which was and still is, pretty spotty here in Minneapolis-St Paul. Of course, Sprint has been rolling out LTE for a while now. It appears, then disappears a lot. Unfortunately 3G has been awful for months. I will be so thankful when LTE is finally and fully deployed!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those devices did not support SVDO. I know the S3 and EVO LTE support it, and possible the Nexus LTE (additionally, the newest Optimus maybe?). I really liked this feature when on the phone and being able to quickly check email or pull up traffic info without relying on WiFi.
The S4 does not support simultaneous voice+data, and I believe that anandtech/ars had good articles describing the data paths employed by the HTC One and S4.
What I found interesting is that when the 4G connection drops out and 3G connects, I can just send a text and get 4G back immediately instead of waiting to hop towers. I suspect that a phone call would serve the same purpose.
Also, toggling 4G off and on will get you back the same mobile IP address. This is not the case with 3G, which results in a new IP address being assigned. In order to get a new IP on LTE, you have to toggle airplane mode (which is likely why this is the first step in troubleshooting LTE connectivity).

Thought I'd help you all out to understand it since you all are sooooo new to having LTE on your phones and all (that was a joke, don't get bent out of shape over it....)
The LTE standard only supports packet switching with its all-IP network. Voice calls in GSM, UMTS and CDMA2000 are circuit switched, so with the adoption of LTE, carriers will have to re-engineer their voice call network. Three different approaches sprang up. Most major backers of LTE preferred and promoted VoLTE (Voice over LTE, an implementation of IP Multimedia Subsystem or IMS) from the beginning. The lack of software support in initial LTE devices as well as core network devices however led to a number of carriers promoting VoLGA (Voice over LTE Generic Access) as an interim solution.[13] The idea was to use the same principles as GAN (Generic Access Network, also known as UMA or Unlicensed Mobile Access), which defines the protocols through which a mobile handset can perform voice calls over a customer's private Internet connection, usually over wireless LAN. VoLGA however never gained much support, because VoLTE (IMS) promises much more flexible services, albeit at the cost of having to upgrade the entire voice call infrastructure. While the industry has seemingly standardized on VoLTE for the future, the demand for voice calls today has led LTE carriers to introduce CSFB (Circuit Switched Fallback) as a stopgap measure. When placing or receiving a voice call, LTE handsets will fall back to old 2G or 3G networks for the duration of the call.
Source
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Just to be a bit more clear, it was not a sprint decision it is based on Qualcomm's chip design. The s4 krait simply supported svdo out the box and the snapdragon 600 doesn't.

themuffinman said:
Just to be a bit more clear, it was not a sprint decision it is based on Qualcomm's chip design. The s4 krait simply supported svdo out the box and the snapdragon 600 doesn't.
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I am not sure that is correct. First of all, the 600 is the CPU, not the modem - which is a separate component altogether. Secondly, I believe SVDO support is more a factor of the front end RF design being set up to feed multiple transmit paths to the modem, which in the case of the Qualcomm modem, I believe has the necessary additional ports to handle it. However, it would have necessitated a more complex RF design which Sprint and Samsung probably opted to forgo, given that Sprint's is already getting on the LTE bandwagon.

myphone12345 said:
I am not sure that is correct. First of all, the 600 is the CPU, not the modem - which is a separate component altogether. Secondly, I believe SVDO support is more a factor of the front end RF design being set up to feed multiple paths to the modem, which in the case of the Qualcomm modem, I believe has the necessary additional ports to handle it. However, it would have necessitated a more complex RF design which Sprint and Samsung probably opted to forgo, given that Sprint's is already getting on the LTE bandwagon.
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You are absolutely correct but wouldn't that be dependent on whether the modem supported that design?

themuffinman said:
You are absolutely correct but wouldn't that be dependent on whether the modem supported that design?
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My best guess is that the advanced modem in the S4 could handle it, but to add it on top of SVLTE along with the newer MIMO antenna configurations and multi-band transceivers and switches found in the latest LTE capable handsets would require the addition of another RF chain in the device and thus significantly raise the complexity of the design to a degree that doesn't make it worthwhile for Samsung to implement it.

It's not going to happen.... It's a USA cdma limitation it has NOTHING to do with the phone
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium

hyelton said:
It's not going to happen.... It's a USA cdma limitation it has NOTHING to do with the phone
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
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Yes, for the most part, cdma devices has never been able to do voice and 3g data simultaneously but there is something called svdo which allows supported devices to do just that. The HTC thunderbolt on verizon was one of the first phones to support svdo(simultaneous voice and data over 3g on a cdma network). Getting it to work has absolutely nothing to do with the network but how the phone is designed. Now I am a sprint customer so I don't know what other devices supported it on verizon since but I do know that both sprint and verizon's gs3 both support svdo as well as sprints evo lte and a few other devices.

hyelton said:
It's not going to happen.... It's a USA cdma limitation it has NOTHING to do with the phone
Sent from my GT-I9505 using xda premium
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Not true. There have been several devices that could do it.

myphone12345 said:
Not true. There have been several devices that could do it.
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Oh theres plenty!! of devices that support it!! Its the NETWORK that does not.

hyelton said:
Oh theres plenty!! of devices that support it!! Its the NETWORK that does not.
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You keep talking like the network is preventing it from being possible, yes there are technical obsticals but obviously there are ways around it. So the botton line is, can you have a phone thats on a cdma network that can do voice and 3g data at the same time? That answer is yes

Seriously, why are we arguing this much about this? Simultaneous voice AND 3G on Sprint, yes, period. S3 and Evo LTE do it, S4 doesn't. Let's move on to other things.