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| Xeogaming Forums - General Chat - If you have a 4G phone you're wasting money |
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True Flight The One         Since: 08-21-04 Since last post: 113 days Last activity: 112 days |
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| Stay with 3G seriously
SOURCE NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- You've seen the 4G advertisements from T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon, bragging about a much-better wireless network with blazing fast speeds. Here's the secret the carriers don't advertise: 4G is a myth. Like the unicorn, it hasn't been spotted anywhere in the wild just yet -- and won't be any time in the near future. The International Telecommunication Union, the global wireless standards-setting organization, determined last month that 4G is defined as a network capable of download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps). That's fast enough to download an average high-definition movie in about three minutes. None of the new networks the carriers are rolling out meet that standard. Sprint (S, Fortune 500) was the first to launch a network called 4G, going live with it earlier this year. Then, T-Mobile launched its 4G network, claiming to be "America's largest 4G network." Verizon (VZ, Fortune 500) plans to launch its 4G network next week , which it claims will be the nation's largest and the fastest. AT&T (T, Fortune 500) is expected to unveil its 4G network next year. Those networks have theoretical speeds of a fifth to a half that of the official 4G standard. The actual speeds the carriers say they'll achieve are just a tenth of "real" 4G. So why are the carriers calling these networks 4G? It's mostly a matter of PR, industry experts say. Explaining what the wireless carriers' new networks should be called, and what they'll be capable of, is a confusing mess. To illustrate: Sprint bought a majority stake in Clearwire (CLWR), which uses a new network technology called WiMAX that's capable of speeds ranging from 3 Mbps to 10 Mbps. That's a different technology from Verizon's new network, based on a standard called Long Term Evolution (LTE), which will average 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps. Seeing what its competitors were up to, T-Mobile opted to increase the speed capabilities of its existing 3G-HSPA+ network instead of pursuing a new technology. Its expanded network -- now called 4G -- will reach speeds of 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps. No matter what they're called, all of these upgrades are clear improvements -- and the carriers shelled out billions to make them. Current "3G" networks offer actual speeds that range from between 500 kilobits per second to 1.5 Mbps. So Sprint and Verizon have new, faster networks that are still technically not 4G, while T-Mobile has an old, though still faster network that is actually based on 3G technology. Confused yet? That's why they all just opted to call themselves "4G." The carriers get defensive about the topic. "It's very misleading to make a decision about what's 4G based on speed alone," said Stephanie Vinge-Walsh, spokeswoman for Sprint Nextel. "It is a challenge we face in an extremely competitive industry." T-Mobile did not respond to a request for comment. One network representative, who asked not to be identified, claimed that ITU's 4G line-in-the-sand is being misconstrued. The organization previously approved the use of the term "4G" for Sprint's WiMAX and Verizon's LTE networks, he said -- though not for T-Mobile's HSPA+ network. ITU's PR department ignored that approval in its recent statement about how future wireless technologies would be measured, the representative said. ITU representatives were not immediately available for comment. "I'm not getting into a technical debate," said Jeffrey Nelson, spokesman for Verizon Wireless. "Consumers will quickly realize that there's really a difference between the capabilities of various wireless data networks. All '4G' is not the same." And that's what's so difficult. The term 4G has become meaningless and confusing as hell for wireless customers. For instance, T-Mobile's 4G network, which is technically 3G, will have speeds that are at least equal to -- and possibly faster -- than Verizon's 4G-LTE network at launch. At the same time, AT&T's 3G network, which is also being scaled up like T-Mobile's, is not being labeled "4G." That's why some industry experts predict that the term "4G" will soon vanish. "The labeling of wireless broadband based on technical jargon is likely to fade away in 2011," said Dan Hays, partner at industry consultancy PRTM. "That will be good news for the consumer. Comparing carriers based on their network coverage and speed will give them more facts to make more informed decisions." Hays expects that independent researchers -- or the Federal Communications Commission -- will step in next year to perform speed and coverage tests. Meanwhile, don't expect anyone to hold the carriers' feet to the fire. "Historically, ITU's classification system has not held a great degree of water and has not been used to enforce branding," Hays said. "Everyone started off declaring themselves to be 4G long before the official decision on labeling was made. The ITU was three to four years too late to make an meaningful impact on the industry's use of the term." We talked about this during AIT and came to the conclusion that this is true... did some stuff to 4G phone to really check this out. |
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Lord Alexandor Knight Discord Manager  Since: 10-15-06 From: Dayton, OH Since last post: 1397 days Last activity: 89 days |
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| Every time I hear someone talking about getting a 4G phone, I tell them they got shafted by marketing. When I go into AT&T (my carrier), I say: "So, when are we getting real 4G? As in 100Mbps like the rest of the world?" and the techs all look confused. Makes me happy inside.
This slowness with wireless service is the same as our wired internet providers in America. We can't get fast internet like most of the smaller countries of the world because our infrastructure doesn't support it. And, providers won't spend money to upgrade to pure fiber. Copper cannot hold us for long...We need information at the speed of light! =D |
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Elara Divine Mamkute Dark Elf Goddess Chaos Imp Penguins Fan Ms. Invisable  Since: 08-15-04 From: Ferelden Since last post: 113 days Last activity: 113 days |
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| The article is like a year old, but no less true. It's kinda why I didn't bother shelling out the money for a "4G" phone when I switched to Verizon. | |||
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Rogue If you're reading this... You are the Resistance Since: 08-17-04 Since last post: 646 days Last activity: 455 days |
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I've still got a 3-year-old LG flip phone, and the hinge is broken. Yeah, I'm no sucker.  |
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Cteno Super Shotgun Moderator Since: 01-11-05 Since last post: 105 days Last activity: 102 days |
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| I always chuckle inside when a friend brags about their new 4G phone. Sure, if we officially had the tech to handle the 4G network, it would be awesome... but it's all seriously like buying a brand new Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 and slamming it in a Windows XP machine with a Pentium 4; every awesome thing about it would be bottlenecked by the processor! Or like buying the most expensive and awesome broadband internet available and filtering it through a dial-up port!
People are silly. |
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Astrophel Fear will kill your mind and steal your love as sure as anything; Fear will rob you blind and make you numb to others suffering  Since: 10-03-04 From: Azul Lux Orbital, Kirin Beta Since last post: 2493 days Last activity: 1343 days |
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Originally posted by Rogue One year, Samsung, and not broken, but same basic deal. (it's Verizon unfortunately, don't particularly like them, buuuut... I didn't pay for it, and I still don't, so I can't complain) (Last edited by Astrophel on 11-08-11 03:40 PM) |
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Xeoman Ball and Chain Trooper Administrator  Since: 08-14-04 From: 255 Since last post: 101 days Last activity: 89 days |
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| I think mine is the same age as Rogue's or older, Samsung T-Mobile family phone. I can text! | |||
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Rogue If you're reading this... You are the Resistance Since: 08-17-04 Since last post: 646 days Last activity: 455 days |
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Originally posted by Astrophel Yeah, I'm in a similar situation, in a plan on Verizon with my parents. We're supposed to get new phones every 2 years, but when my boyfriend got put on it with us it apparently restarted our plan. So no new phone for another year and a half. Yay, Verizon! 
And I can't text. |
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Bitmap #1 Enhancement Shaman US Ravenholdt  Since: 09-05-04 From: His Laughin' Place Since last post: 4569 days Last activity: 4563 days |
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| I don't even have a phone yet. And my mother called me up this week on her new !-TOUCHSCREENPHONE OMG-! and just had to have me show her how to use it.
Now, I am up to date on technology and the sorts. But when it comes to cellphones; i'm clueless, and I don't really see the point in owning one. I have thought about owning a boost mobile phone that has a pay as you go kinda plan. But even while owning one I still don't see the point in me getting one. No one really calls me nowadays and if they do it's usually on the internet or if my boss needs me to come into work. That's about it. Now, don't get me wrong. I am not trying to shit on this topic by saying if you own a phone in general you are wasting your money. But I personally dont see the point in having one of those fancy touch screen phones that can do just about anything. For business? Sure. But for me; it's not worth the trouble and having a plan that does so. Sorry for being a stick in the mud. |
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Xeoman Ball and Chain Trooper Administrator Since: 08-14-04 From: 255 Since last post: 101 days Last activity: 89 days |
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| The thing Bit is who calls who anymore? I and I think a lot of us much rather prefer just simple texting thesedays. I only call for real business, with jobs or stuff like that.
I guess Rogue isn't so lucky... lol. (Last edited by 7 on 11-09-11 03:06 PM) |
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Astrophel Fear will kill your mind and steal your love as sure as anything; Fear will rob you blind and make you numb to others suffering Since: 10-03-04 From: Azul Lux Orbital, Kirin Beta Since last post: 2493 days Last activity: 1343 days |
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Fuck texting Seriously If I wanted to send a shittly little overcondensed message that rapes several languages in the process of being typed and then have to pay for every single one of them, I would permit all of you to beat me with baseball bats until I forgot about that retarded idea. I have my cell in case something goes wrong with my grandparents or my mother feels like nagging me. Or in the off chance that something happens on one of my 30min-2hr walks. That's all. |
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Xeoman Ball and Chain Trooper Administrator Since: 08-14-04 From: 255 Since last post: 101 days Last activity: 89 days |
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| It's pretty easy to get free texting thesedays.
And everyone I text knows English. AIM was worse man. lol (Last edited by 7 on 11-09-11 11:54 PM) |
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天国JOE ���A�ǂ��ɂȂ�̂���낤�H Since: 09-02-04 From: Destroy Tower Since last post: 4038 days Last activity: 3403 days |
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Originally posted by AstrophelYou've been hanging out with 13 year old girls and mega-tools far too much. All my texts and the texts I receive are pretty legit. Short, to the point and written fine. Or sometimes longish, but not too often. Good to say to your bro "yo, what was the homework again? I totally forgot to write it" "Oh, Pg.454" "Nice. Keep the dreams alive." "Lick the moon." Badabingbadaboom. |
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Astrophel Fear will kill your mind and steal your love as sure as anything; Fear will rob you blind and make you numb to others suffering Since: 10-03-04 From: Azul Lux Orbital, Kirin Beta Since last post: 2493 days Last activity: 1343 days |
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Originally posted by 天国JOE I'd love to criticize that interpretation, but a fair bit of my cell phone aversion is because of one of my idiot cousins. (she's 15, but she's still really stupid with it) |
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True Flight The One Since: 08-21-04 Since last post: 113 days Last activity: 112 days |
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| I text too but Skype is easier to get a text message from. I log on and call from my phone. | |||
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Kaijin Surohm Living the dream  Since: 08-16-04 Since last post: 1690 days Last activity: 876 days |
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| I'm ususally too damn busy to stop what I'm doing entirely, or too taxed to hold it to my ear to listen to someone ramble on.
Just send me a text, I'll reply quickly, and move on with my day. Stopping for 9 seconds, vs having 10+minute long convos is taxing for keeping productive. Also, I've known about the lie of 4G ever since people started to market the stupid things. Thanks to our resident hacker and all =P Also, Wi-MAX is retarded. Sure, you could potentially get that speed, however, very little technology even supports that wavelength. It's too odd of a frequency for normal wifi signals to detect. My laptop, an Asus i3 core model, has Wi-Max technology, and there are no hot spots for it anywhere, nor do I have any compatible equipment to work with it, even with it's 15km range, due to it being "Wireless aDSL" Anyone who knows the issues with DSL, is fully aware with how bad this is. Due to DSL sharing it's bandwidth with blocks at a time. This also isn't counting the pathetic vulnerablilties you can suffer, like: Rogue Base Stations, DoS Attacks, Man-in-the-Middle Attacks, Network manipulation with spoofed management frames. With normal Wifi, atleast they have to be within a relatively close range. Not with WiMax's 15km range >.> |
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Bitmap #1 Enhancement Shaman US Ravenholdt Since: 09-05-04 From: His Laughin' Place Since last post: 4569 days Last activity: 4563 days |
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Originally posted by 7 This right here is why I don't have a phone. No one calls me unless I ask them to call me at like 12 at night. And hey, guess what, home phone. No point for me. For the rest of you YOU ARE PART OF THE SYSTEM GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT |
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Belial Bazu Since: 01-29-05 From: New Zealand Since last post: 4377 days Last activity: 3992 days |
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| My cell phone is… well, everything. Phone, text, email, Internet, gaming platform.. Sad, huh? But, while I usually text more than anything else, I do chat on the phone with some friends who don't live near me.
Also, because I don't have a "permanent" home… I move around a lot, it seems… from my ex's house, to a house with a roommate, to my mom's and now I'm going to New Zealand… There is no "home phone." My mom doesn't have a house phone, and neither did the other to previous places I lived. *shrugs* As for 4G? HAH. I don't really care so long as I can do what I want on my phone. My brother in law and a few other friends were in San Diego, and he was like "Oh, cool! I'm picking up 4G!" I couldn't help it, I snickered at him. |
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