Difference between 3G and 4G

3G and 4G are terms used to describe different groups of wireless internet standards. The “G” stands for generation, so as you might expect 3G hit the scene before 4G, which is the faster of the two.

Short comparison of 3G and 4G

4G is often up to 20x faster than 3G for real-world use in cities. Outside of major metropolitan areas 4G can slow down quite a bit before eventually dropping out, leaving you with only a 3G connection. All 4G devices have 3G support as a backup for when this happens.

You need a 4G device to operate on a 4G network: older devices and ones designed solely for 3G use will not get 4G speeds.

Which is better 3G or 4G?

Certainly 4G is by far the better of the two. It’s faster, smoother and, because it is newer, 4G networks haven’t had the chance to be bogged-down with too many other users just yet. In high-reception areas its real-world speeds can well exceed 2x the maximum potential speed of a fixed-line ADSL2+ connection.

There is absolutely no down-side to using 4G instead of 3G, other than that it uses a little bit more of your battery.

If you have a 4G device and do not have 4G reception, then it will fall back 3G. If even that is not available, it will drop back to 2G (voice) and then to nothing. There are no more “1G” networks, they were analogue-based and were replaced by the digital 2G technology in the 80s and 90s.

The reasons that 3G is still necessary are:

• 4G networks cover a smaller area than 3G, meaning that 3G is still needed in many areas
• 4G technologies tend to have short range, making it harder to gain significant network spread across Australia's spread-out population

So 4G is always better than 3G?

Generally speaking yes. However, that doesn't mean that it's always best for you. Now that 4G has become more prevalent, the older 3G networks have a lighter load to carry in 4G areas. In some cases this means that 3G speeds have increased significantly. You can get real-world speeds of around 10Mbps - the speed of many home ADSL connections - although that's unlikely to remain constant.

The reason 3G might be right for you is that some networks and some devices don't yet offer 4G. These networks and devices are usually a bit cheaper. If you're not a big internet user when you're out and about, and you don't place much value in having the latest and greatest tech, then you might find sacrificing 4G in favour of 3G to be a preferable alternative.

Is 4G more expensive than 3G?

Normally any carrier that offers both 4G and 3G will provide them for the same price. In some areas there may not be available 4G, so you will be automatically converted to 3G network bandwidth. It all falls under the category of “data” on a mobile monthly plan. Therefore, if you’re with Optus, Telstra, Vodafone or Virgin Mobile then you’ll get 4G access for no added cost.

Where it gets a little tricky is with network resellers. Some more popular resellers include: Yatango, BoostMobile, TPG, and ALDI, among dozens of others. A network reseller, or Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), buys network space in bulk from one of the larger carriers like Telstra or Optus, and then sells it for much cheaper to consumers. This sounds great, except that not all MVNOs have access to 4G. The ones that don't tend to be the cheaper ones.

Therefore the question “is 4G more expensive” has two answers:

1. No. You do not pay more for a 4G plan if your provider has a 4G network. 3G and 4G both are both covered under the same term of “data”.
2. Yes. If you want 4G you have to deal with one of the major 4 providers or an MVNO that supports 4G. This generally costs more than going to a 3G-only MVNO.

3G and 4G: Difference Explained

For average consumers, '3G' and '4G' are two of the most mysterious terms in the mobile technology dictionary, but they're used relentlessly to sell phones and tablets. If you're shopping for a new phone, the answer isn't clear-cut, and you shouldn't always go for the higher number. Our primer will help explain which technology to pick.

First things first, the "G" stands for a generation of mobile technology, installed in phones and on cellular networks. Each "G" generally requires you to get a new phone, and for networks to make expensive upgrades. The first two were analog cell phones (1G) and digital phones (2G). Then it got complicated.
Third-generation mobile networks, or 3G, came to the U.S. in 2003. With minimum consistent Internet speeds of 144Kbps, 3G was supposed to bring "mobile broadband." There are now so many varieties of 3G, though, that a "3G" connection can get you Internet speeds anywhere from 400Kbps to more than ten times that.
New generations usually bring new base technologies, more network capacity for more data per user, and the potential for better voice quality, too.
4G phones are supposed to be even faster, but that's not always the case. There are so many technologies called "4G," and so many ways to implement them, that the term is almost meaningless. The International Telecommunications Union, a standards body, tried to issue requirements to call a network 4G but they were ignored by carriers, and eventually the ITU backed down. 4G technologies include HSPA+ 21/42, WiMAX, and LTE (although some consider LTE the only true 4G of that bunch, and some people say none of them are fast enough to qualify.)

There are many different ways to implement LTE, too, so you can't assume all LTE speeds are the same. Carriers with more available radio spectrum for LTE can typically run faster networks than carriers with less spectrum, for instance.
 When to Go For 4G

In 2013, almost everyone should have a 4G phone. Verizon now has nationwide 4G LTE coverage. T-Mobile and MetroPCS have nationwide HSPA+ 42 and growing LTE networks. AT&T has broad LTE coverage. Sprint is still building out LTE, but by next year the carrier aims to be comprehensive.
There's one thing to watch out for, though. Some carriers, such as FreedomPop, are still selling phones that run on Sprint's old WiMAX system. That system is deteriorating and will be turned off at the end of 2015. The new LTE system will only expand. So we recommend buying LTE devices from Sprint, not WiMAX devices. If possible, the devices should also support Sprint's new, faster "Spark" LTE system, not all of Sprint's LTE phones do.
If you like to surf the Web and especially stream video, 4G can be heaven. If you connect a laptop to your mobile link, 4G makes a huge difference. In general, anything involving transferring large amounts of data gets a big boost from 4G. Watch out for the data limits on your service plan, though; it's easy to use up a lot of data very quickly with 4G.
If you have a 3G phone and you've been frustrated with slow data, 4G may be the solution. 4G won't solve any dropped call problems, though, as all calls will be made over older networks until carriers switch to voice-over-LTE during the next few years.
Finally, if you want to future-proof yourself, get a 4G phone. 4G coverage is only going to get better, and that's where the carriers are spending most of their money right now. You can assume that all 4G phones also support your carrier's 3G and 2G networks as well.

Should You Even Consider 3G?

There are a few reasons you might still settle for a 3G phone.
If your phone is mostly for voice use, you have no need for 4G data. Save money and save battery life by choosing a device without the high-speed network.
If you live in an area that doesn't have 4G coverage, there's no advantage to a 4G phone. In fact, you'll have serious battery life problems if you buy an LTE phone and don't disable 4G LTE, as the radio's search for a non-existent signal will drain your battery quickly.
If you're strapped for cash and buying a phone off contract, you may have to settle for 3G to save money. In that case, make sure to get the fastest 3G phone possible. On Verizon and Sprint, you want to check that it supports "EVDO Rev A." On T-Mobile and AT&T, you want the highest class of HSPA+ possible: if not 42 or 21, then 14.4.

What’s the Difference Between 3G and 4G LTE Speeds?

What is 3G Technology? 

What is 4G Technology?

What makes 4G LTE Technology so much faster?

Let's begin:

What is 3G?

3G is shorthand for “3rd generation,” and refers to a networking standard in cell phone technology that is capable of providing high-speed data service to mobile devices. As 3G wireless networks became more widespread, you could finally connect to and use the Internet at practical speeds (with a 3G-enabled smartphone), which far surpassed those of the previous generation of mobile phone technology (called 1X). Verizon’s 3G network paved the way for a world that’s almost forgotten phones were once used merely for voice calls and text messaging. A world where it’s perfectly ordinary to download huge chunks of information to your phone from the Internet, to stream audio and video to people thousands of miles away, and to effortlessly, wirelessly pass large multimedia files to a co-worker. Indeed, it was 3G that made smartphones truly feasible. In doing so, it changed the way millions of people communicate, and set the stage for even more advanced mobile technologies such as 4G.

What is 4G?

In one word: fast! To be technical, 4G stands for “4th generation” mobile data protocol.

 But as a growing band of 4G users will tell you, it’s all about the speed. 

Now, what is 4G LTE?  

LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. It’s a term used for the particular 4G protocol that delivers the fastest mobile Internet experience. Some experts even refer to it as “true 4G.” 

A 4G LTE network is therefore one that operates at the leading edge of speed and reliability. 

Using a 4G smartphone on 4G LTE network means you can download files from the Internet up to 10 times faster than with 3G. 

With 4G LTE, using the web from your phone becomes as pleasurable as using it from your home computer. To join the 4G revolution, you need to have a smartphone that is configured to work with a 4G network and a  mobile plan like MORE Everything℠. All 4G phones offered by Verizon will work with its 4G LTE network, the largest in the U.S. These phones will connect automatically with the 4G LTE network, but they can also connect to and use the 3G network (at 3G speed) in places where 4G LTE service is not yet available. 

So there you have it. 3G speeds laid the groundwork for our increasingly mobile lifestyle, but 4G speeds are truly taking “mobile” to the next level.

 3G vs. 4G Speed Comparison : Which One is fastest

How much faster is 4G compared to 3G and what applications run better on 4G?

3G and 4G are standards for mobile communication. Standards specify how the airwaves must be used for transmitting information (voice and data). 3G (or 3rd Generation) was launched in Japan in 2001. As recently as mid-2010, the networks for most wireless carriers in the U.S. were 3G. 3G networks were a significant improvement over 2G networks, offering higher speeds for data transfer. The improvement that 4G offers over 3G is often less pronounced. Analysts use the analogy of standard vs Hi  Definition TV to describe the difference between 3G and 4G. 

What is 4G?

The definition of 4G has changed over the years. Current commercially available technologies LTE (Long-Term Evolution) and WiMax claimed that they are sufficiently advanced from 3G and thus claimed the right to call their technology 4G. However, in October 2010, the global standards group International Telecommunication Union conveyed that after long study, it had determined which technologies truly qualified for its IMT-Advanced label i.e. 4G (fourth-generation). The target speed was at least 100 Mbps to qualify for the 4G label. Only two systems made the list: LTE - Advanced, an emerging version of LTE technology, and Wireless MAN-Advanced, the next version of WiMax, also called WiMax 2. Neither is commercially available yet.

But in December 2010, the standards body softened its stance. In a press release, the ITU stated: 

"As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as '4G,' although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed. "

This opened the door for LTE, WiMax and HSPA+ to be designated 4G because these technologies can all deliver multiple megabits per second upstream and downstream, far more than most existing 3G networks.

4G Speed vs. 3G Speed

How much faster is 4G compared to 3G? Unfortunately for consumers, the answer to this question is more nuanced than one would like. The speed of a 3G network depends upon how it is implemented. In the US, by 2010 Sprint and Verizon (both CDMA networks) had reached the limits of how fast they could make their 3G networks. Upgrading to 4G networks allowed them to offer data transmission speeds up to four times faster than their 3G networks. However, the 3G networks of GSM carriers AT&T and T-Mobile were designed such that there was room to upgrade 3G speeds. As of mid-2010, it is anticipated that when AT&T and T-Mobile upgrade their 3G networks, their speeds will become comparable to 4G from Sprint and Verizon. 

Design Principle and Applications of 2G, 3G and 4G

Both 2G and 3G networks were designed primarily for voice communications rather than data. On the other hand, 4G is designed especially for data transmission rather than voice. So 4G offers faster access to data using mobile phones. For example, streaming video works better with 4G, with less stuttering and a higher resolution. Similarly, video conferencing and multilayer online games work better with the faster data transmission offered by 4G.

MIT engineer Keith Winstein wrote an blog about how the speed you ultimately experience on your mobile phone depends much more on other factors than 3G or 4G. 

In book,  newer technologies offer performance improvements. However, 3G and 4G refer to the communication protocol between the mobile handset and the tower of the mobile service provider. So it's only one piece of the puzzle. The throughput rate and browsing speed also depend upon factors such as:

• how many cell phone towers are in the vicinity
• how many users are sharing these towers
• the bandwidth available to to these cellphone towers to connect to the internet or the carrier's network.

 Promoting sales of 3G or 4G is easier for wireless carriers than promising (and providing) a minimum throughput rate for data transfer. 

5G explained

What comes after 4G? 

Well, 5G of course. 

Samsung – and no doubt other tech super giants – is working on developing a 5G network (‘mmWave Mobile Technology’) with a potential top speed of 1 gigabit per second (1Gbps).

That’s 5G is 100 times faster than 4G. 

“5G will be capable of providing a ubiquitous gigabit experience to subscribers anywhere and offers data transmission speeds of up to several tens of Gbps per base station”, boasts the company blog.

Before you ask, let me just dampen your enthusiasm by stating that it isn’t expected till 2020.

Smartphone downloads faster than Uploads

Downloading stuff on your smartphone is faster than uploading content. Much faster. In tests on our sister site Computerworld we found uploading to be painfully slow. While 3G mustered a 25Kbps throughput, 4G was able to move 41Kbp  – not a terribly significant improvement. Clearly, this service is more useful for downloading large chunks of data, such as monster spreadsheets, videos and presentations, than for tasks such as uploading content to a website or sending emails bulging with attachments.