iPhone 5s: LTE or 4G reception icon

[Anonymous]

Hello everyone,

Could anybody confirm which icon should be displayed by the reception bar (dots) if we are under O2's 4G LTE Network? Is it 4G or is it LTE?

The reason I am asking is because in the US with t-mobile LTE is displayed when the phone is really connected to an LTE network and it displays 4G when connected to one of those enhanced 3G networks sometimes referred to as 3.5G like HSPDA+ and DC-HSPA+.

So what does it mean if my phone shows the 4G icon whilst on O2? is that really LTE?

Thanks in advance for your help with this topic.

[Anonymous]

4G is the Uk logo you should see.

I assume you have taken up O2's 4G Tariff.

Lte is the American equivalent

[Anonymous]

I always had LTE showing on my devices with EE.

Depends on the carrier, doesn't make any difference - you are still using LTE even if it shows 4G.

[Anonymous]

A rather extensive read but enlightening.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4g

[perksie]

You won't get 4G without a 4G tariff, sim card and phone of course.

[Anonymous]

In summary, we get LTE - there is nobody actually offering 4G.

As you said in the OP some US carriers brand things such as DC-HSDPA as 4G, i.e anything faster than 3G.

Others show LTE and this is indeed correct - as that is what they are offering, LTE...not 4G.

All much of a muchness though, at the end of the day the technicalities don't really matter - so makes it much easier to just brand as 4G!

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

In summary, we get LTE - there is nobody actually offering 4G.

As you said in the OP some US carriers brand things such as DC-HSDPA as 4G, i.e anything faster than 3G.

Others show LTE and this is indeed correct - as that is what they are offering, LTE...not 4G.

All much of a muchness though, at the end of the day the technicalities don't really matter - so makes it much easier to just brand as 4G!

---

So why would O2 call it 4G and not Lte ?

If O2 are not offering 4G surly they couldn't say they are ?

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

In summary, we get LTE - there is nobody actually offering 4G.

As you said in the OP some US carriers brand things such as DC-HSDPA as 4G, i.e anything faster than 3G.

Others show LTE and this is indeed correct - as that is what they are offering, LTE...not 4G.

All much of a muchness though, at the end of the day the technicalities don't really matter - so makes it much easier to just brand as 4G!

---

So why would O2 call it 4G and not Lte ?

If O2 are not offering 4G surly they couldn't say they are ?

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Nobody is offering 4G.

What they are offering is LTE - which is not 4G.

It's all to do with marketing and they all probably have an agreement that it's ok to call it 4G. Avoids confusion for the consumer I guess.

[adamtemp64 · Accepted solution]

This is straight from the manual and lte is full 4g the usa called dc-hspa 4g from what I can rember hence 4g as utms not lte, in the uk 4g is true lte source http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2013/02/20/ofcom-announces-winners-of-the-4g-mobile-auction/ note 6 to editors the uk has not deployed wimax only LTE

[Anonymous]

Yes we are using a true LTE source, the same as Verizon were in the states.

LTE does not meet the official criteria for 4G though, but is still branded as 4G.

Unless they have revised the requirements again..

It doesn't matter though, that's something most just don't care about. Give us faster data that's all we want and we are happy