Android: We keep hearing about 5G, the super fast network set to replace our current LTE service, but in the meantime there’s a way to get significantly faster data speeds on your smartphone right now. All you need is the right Android phone and Qualcomm’s Gigabit LTE.
What is Gigabit LTE?
Gigabit LTE gets its name from its top speed of 1 gigabit per second. In real life use, you’re more likely to see download speeds of around 400-500 megabits per second, but that’s still a big upgrade. A recent report put the average 4G LTE download speed at anywhere from 17.45 mbps to 9.76 mbps in the U.S., depending on your carrier.
Qualcomm first announced Gigabit LTE in 2016, but in the past year we’ve seen all the major carriers in the U.S. move to offer the new feature. At the same time, a handful of high-end Android phones packing Qualcomm’s latest processor arrived with support for the service. The list includes the Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8 Active, Moto Z Force (2nd Gen), LG V30 and HTC U11 (notably absent from this list are the Pixel 2 and OnePlus 5, which offer the same Snapdragon 835 chip).
As long as you have one of those Android phones and you’re in range of a Gigabit LTE signal it should work automatically.
How Does it Work?
Qualcomm’s new technology uses a few different strategies to drastically increase mobile data speeds. The first is carrier aggregation, which means combining a bunch of different LTE signals together to create one big network that offers faster speeds and less congestion. Every smartphone with Gigabit LTE also comes with four built-in antennas, which can double your speed in some situations and help boost the signal in areas where there usually isn’t any service.
Finally, Gigabit LTE takes advantage of unused spectrum—that’s the range of electronic waves used to transmit data—to offer new LTE-U and LAA (Licensed Assisted Access) networks and boost download speeds. This only works if you’re in range of a cell site, basically a small box that delivers the signal. So it won’t always be an option, but it could help reduce congestion in high trafficked areas like airports or concert venues.
What is Gigabit LTE Good For?
Faster data speeds means you’ll never have to deal with a buffering YouTube or Netflix video on your phone again. It also makes it possible to download hours of content in just seconds, so you can quickly save a few movies and podcasts for offline use right before getting on a plane. As virtual reality becomes more popular, Gigabit LTE will make it easier to stream high-quality 4K videos without any lag as well.
As an added bonus, using Gigabit LTE will even speed things up for the people around you. By taking advantage of unused networks and downloading data faster, you can clear up the lines for everyone else so no one has to suffer through terrible internet on their smartphones.