With a Rumored 4G iPhone to Debut Soon, Do You Really Need 4G LTE Speeds?
The iPhone 5 is not only rumored to be announced on September 12, but it will also supposedly have true 4G LTE connectivity for the first time ever. Many customers are waiting to see if it's true before they make their next cell phone purchase. In fact, so many people are waiting for the release of Apple's next i-Device that it's driving overall phone sales down.
But is it worth the wait? What advantages do you really get from having the faster service? We've detailed some of the main perks to 4G below, to help you decide whether you should spring for the 4G iPhone 5, should it come to pass later this week.
Downloads
App downloads over 4G are noticeably faster. Does that mean they're disgustingly slow via 3G? Not really, but if you can get your download faster, why wouldn't you want that?! Think of it as the difference between, "Ugh! I have to wait 20 seconds for Angry Birds to download?!" and, "Ugh! Angry Birds is ready to play and there goes my free time!"Maps
You know those times when you magically appear in a new part of the world, and have to cache all new maps? With 4G in those instances, you'll be able to figure out where you are that much faster, too. With the additional 4G of speed, you'll find the nearest Starbucks before someone on 3G even realizes that teleporting makes one crave coffee.Phone Calls
Not really talked about is the fact that 4G phone calls are roughly 13% to 27% faster than other calls. Conversations go by faster, and you can convey more information with your voice than ever before. It would take a Large Hadron to explain it, really; just know that it's all quantum.However, the problems start occurring whenever someone on a 4G phone calls someone who is using a 3G phone. The 4G callers voice travels faster, so there are embarrassing moments when the 4G caller answers a question before the 3G caller even asks it. It's caused more than a few scientists to break down into tears, as it's a clear violation of cause and effect.
The same goes for emails, naturally, so be careful sending a reply, as the recipient might get it before they sent their question, causing a paradox which rips a hole in the fabric of space and time that could summon the Old Ones to our planet whereupon they would swallow everyone's soul. But that's such a minor worry, if it means faster communications, right?
Texting
The speed that 4G delivers enhances your texting speeds, as well. 4G makes it easier and faster for your fingers to fly over the virtual keyboard, hitting the right letters. The first few times, you might experience mild exhaustion, as your body is not accustomed to possession by a high-speed network. You may also wind up with more "automatic writing" and communicating with ghosts than you might have bargained for, but that's normal and should subside after a few days.Games
Remember, back in the day, when you could reach behind the Atari 2600 and flip the "Expert" switch and the games would play twice as fast? Get ready for that, but with Angry Birds! [Editors note: For the not-as-elderly, replace the above with a "plugging in Game Genie and entering in the 'fast' code?" analogy.] Even better, with the power of 4G behind them, the birds hit harder and pack more of a punch, so those pigs will be demolished with fewer birds. That means three stars, every time!As you can see, 4G is a panacea for everything that has ever been wrong or troublesome with cell phones in the past. If you're currently on 3G, you should be envious to the point of depression. And for those of you who chose to wait for the next iPhone instead getting the current model, you will be rewarded beyond belief by 4G! (Seriously, though? It's nice to have, but not necessary.)
Photo credits top to bottom: PCMag,
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And probably should talk about streaming video (YouTube?) and tethering.
Gamespeed - thanks for sharing with us the details of your typical day.
Jeffdegeorgia - try rereading this article using 4G, then maybe you'll see the humor.
For those times I am out, I have a decent GPS w/ traffic info for navigation, and I can send SMS to ask Google a few thing I have to ask (I really don't have many questions to Google).
For those who commute to work (and not driving), it might be useful to have data plan for news and stuff. But you can also have a kindle with news pushed to it automatically or just read some books.
I know some may love watch video stream on the go. But that really cost you money. And if you do it often, you may easily reach the data cap, which makes you pay more or lose faster speed for the rest of month.