# 4G, EE/Orange, LTE phones etc speculation/discussion



## fractionMan (Oct 9, 2012)

4g is being rolled out on the 30th of October by EE, but only in a few places.   Pricing plans are notably absent and they've made it clear you need a new plan to use 4g.

Horrible ee site here: http://ee.co.uk/ 

I'm about to get a new phone through orange and I use 3g data extensively at home, it's my only data connection (old contract with unlimited internet ftw).  Should I wait to see what happens?  My phone is _really_ on it's last legs.  The Huawei Ascend LTE is about the only 4g phone I can afford but looks decent enough with android 4 on it so I'll probably go for that.  I was planning on getting some ultra tough thing but as orange don't offer them it's not really an option.
Anyone have any pricing info etc?  Or timing about rollout to other areas (esp bath!)


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

Looks like two issues for mainstream appeal to me:

1. Fragmentation of spectrum
2. Price gouging by networks

Solve both of them and it'll take off big time. Not sure we'll see that for at least another 12 months...


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## TitanSound (Oct 9, 2012)

Old news, 5G is already on the way 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19871065


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

TitanSound said:


> Old news, 5G is already on the way
> 
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19871065


 
Heh was reading about this, ten years away from initial deployment though...


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## fractionMan (Oct 9, 2012)

As an orange user in Bath about to get a new phone/contract I have no real idea what to do.  With no info on price or when it'll be available in bath should I get a 4g phone "just in case"?


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## mrs quoad (Oct 9, 2012)

This may be fuck all use, but my iPhone has a standard option in 'mobile data' that reads something along the lines of 'use LTE data where possible' on / off.

Erm, I'm running with the assumption that they'll be working it how they currently run tethering - i.e., it's a standard option built into the phone's interface, but if you turn it on you'll incur the extra 'surplus' charge. (For tethering, IIRC that's £7 pcm).

Is there any decent chance that 4G prices'll plummet / drop substantially once there's competition? It sounds sensible that they would (particularly for new customers) but tbf this is one of my outstanding areas of ignorance.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

Seems to me until the market settles price will be variable, while the hype increases but there's no clear way to deliver it across devices and networks gouging the consumer is easy.


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## fractionMan (Oct 9, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> This may be fuck all use, but my iPhone has a standard option in 'mobile data' that reads something along the lines of 'use LTE data where possible' on / off.
> 
> Erm, I'm running with the assumption that they'll be working it how they currently run tethering - i.e., it's a standard option built into the phone's interface, but if you turn it on you'll incur the extra 'surplus' charge. (For tethering, IIRC that's £7 pcm).
> 
> Is there any decent chance that 4G prices'll plummet / drop substantially once there's competition? It sounds sensible that they would (particularly for new customers) but tbf this is one of my outstanding areas of ignorance.


 
I don't tether.  I've got some ancient contract that give me unlimited data on Orange and use the android wi-fi hotspot to connect.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 9, 2012)

I'm looking forward to 4g, but am going to wait, don't think this something to be an early adopter in. When all the companies have rolled out 4g networks hopefully there will be price competition as well as increased coverage. That said I'd be very happy with 2g where I live at the moment.


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## mrs quoad (Oct 9, 2012)

fractionMan said:


> I don't tether.  I've got some ancient contract that give me unlimited data on Orange and use the android wi-fi hotspot to connect.


Yeah, just saying that - at a first glance - it looks as if ee might be running things on the same pricing model as tethering.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> I'm looking forward to 4g, but am going to wait, don't think this something to be an early adopter in. When all the companies have rolled out 4g networks hopefully there will be price competition as well as increased coverage. That said I'd be very happy with 2g where I live at the moment.


 
I'm looking forward to it too but as I'm in a contract with another year left I've no choice but to wait which suits me fine tbh. I have the new iPad which has 4G but obviously not the right bloody spectrum for the UK! It will be a factor in my choosing the next smartphone next year however if things have progressed...


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 9, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> I'm looking forward to it too but as I'm in a contract with another year left I've no choice but to wait which suits me fine tbh. I have the new iPad which has 4G but obviously not the right bloody spectrum for the UK! It will be a factor in my choosing the next smartphone next year however if things have progressed...


 
I've got two months...however as phones are becoming more like computers for me...I don't see the need to replace them as often as I once did. Playing with a mates new HTC made me realise whilst it's a little nicer than my Desire HD, it's functionally not much different. 

I'm looking forward to shopping round for the cheapest rolling contract out there.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> I've got two months...however as phones are becoming more like computers for me...I don't see the need to replace them as often as I once did. Playing with a mates new HTC made me realise whilst it's a little nicer than my Desire HD, it's functionally not much different.
> 
> I'm looking forward to shopping round for the cheapest rolling contract out there.


 
Indeed. It's apps that drive my interest now and even then they have to be platform agnostic.


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## mrs quoad (Oct 9, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Indeed. It's apps that drive my interest now and even then they have to be platform agnostic.


They have to be uncertain as to whether or not the existence of platforms can be definitively ascertained?


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## pesh (Oct 9, 2012)

i thought that the article Sunray linked to last week was very interesting

http://www.reghardware.com/2012/10/02/feature_wtf_is_voice_over_lte_4g/

i had no idea how 4G worked, or that its essentially only capable of carrying VOIP calls on the 4G network, along with all the downsides that brings. i love skype as much as anyone when i'm away from home but fuck having all the connection delays, weird echos, buffering and god knows what else on my mobile everytime i try to make a call. 

assuming when you're out of range of a 4G network would it drop down to a 3G one and suddenly it will be business as usual with a standard call? that would be a strange idea of an upgrade.

i'm sure they'll sort it all out eventually and it will all be just super, but at the moment i cant see any real advantages for 4G other than for tethering with computers to make use of the extra speed, is there actually any advantage for 4G regarding voice calls? 

sounds like a step backwards there.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 9, 2012)

mrs quoad said:


> They have to be uncertain as to whether or not the existence of platforms can be definitively ascertained?



Exactly.


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## mrs quoad (Oct 23, 2012)

Price plans out, apparently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20026272

EE start at £36 w/unlimited calls and texts, but that'll only include 500mb / month of 4g before it slows down (to 3G?)

e2a: 





> The top tariff for standard customers will cost £56 per month, and has a data allowance of 8GB.


 
Oucharoo!


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 23, 2012)

500 mb?? I cane over 7 times that a month!


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## Hocus Eye. (Oct 23, 2012)

With BT internet and BTFon there are plenty enough hotspots for me that I rarely need to use even 3G. I am told that 4G is faster even than Wi Fi but I am not that bothered to get a bit more speed, especially if it costs about twice my monthly tariff.


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## Citizen66 (Oct 23, 2012)

pesh said:


> is there actually any advantage for 4G regarding voice calls?**


 
Watching TV at work!!!



> _The top tariff for standard customers will cost £56 per month, and has a data allowance of 8GB._


 
Or maybe not.

**Oops, just realised you meant with regards to voice calls. No idea. But it's fast net for mobile devices and all that entails.


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## Citizen66 (Oct 23, 2012)

I'm under-fucking-whelmed now.


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## Hocus Eye. (Oct 23, 2012)

Citizen66 said:


> I'm under-fucking-whelmed now.


Yes, I can watch TVCatchup on 3G without any problems. I think 4G is just another carrot on a stick to get the donkey to move forward.


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## Citizen66 (Oct 23, 2012)

Hocus Eye. said:


> Yes, I can watch TVCatchup on 3G without any problems. I think 4G is just another carrot on a stick to get the donkey to move forward.


 
I find 3g slow but useable. For browsing at least. Perhaps 4g is like shit off a shovel, but one movie and its all over until next month?


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## paolo (Oct 23, 2012)

Citizen66 said:


> I find 3g slow but useable.


 
I've just switched to Three to get unlimited everything with tethering. I can get about 3 megs down on mine, which is enough to watch iPlayer (handy when other household members are killing the WiFi now they've all discovered torrents  )

Enough to watch iPlayer is basically my threshold of satisfaction. More than that - enough to watch in HD for example, or cane torrents - would be nice but not essential. So I'm happy to wait things out and see what Three do with 4G, especially given the tariff prices from the other operators.


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## Sunray (Oct 23, 2012)

I think I am going to leave LTE to the early adopters as the billing and voice are a bit of a work in progress. The testing of it all is probably going to be done by the customers in the name of getting it out there.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 23, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> 500 mb?? I cane over 7 times that a month!


 
Seeing as it's a finite resource, doesn't seem that unreasonable to charge those who use large amounts of data more.


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 23, 2012)

Citizen66 said:


> I find 3g slow but useable. For browsing at least. Perhaps 4g is like shit off a shovel, but one movie and its all over until next month?



It's good enough to stream films via Netflix on my iPad ice found...


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## Kid_Eternity (Oct 23, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> Seeing as it's a finite resource, doesn't seem that unreasonable to charge those who use large amounts of data more.



Doesn't at all given people like me aren't the majority. That will change over time and frankly companies will have to upgrade their infrastructure to offer sustainable service.


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## pesh (Oct 23, 2012)

so about 80 seconds and you've done your monthly allowance and it's cost you £56. and the quality of your voice calls has quite possibly got worse?

4G sounds really good so far.


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## FridgeMagnet (Oct 23, 2012)

At this stage it seems to be only for people with some sort of compulsive upgrade disorder, who also either have lots of money or nothing else to spend it on.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 23, 2012)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Doesn't at all given people like me aren't the majority. That will change over time and frankly companies will have to upgrade their infrastructure to offer sustainable service.


 
Well yes and those upgrades cost money. If the most demanding thing I use my connection for is checking urban, why should I subsidise those who want watch video (as an example)?


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 23, 2012)

FridgeMagnet said:


> At this stage it seems to be only for people with some sort of compulsive upgrade disorder, who also either have lots of money or nothing else to spend it on.


 
Or upgrading phones anyhow as they are out of contract and want something newer and shinier?


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## FridgeMagnet (Oct 23, 2012)

Global Stoner said:


> Or upgrading phones anyhow as they are out of contract and want something newer and shinier?


I wouldn't pay that much extra on the contract for an upgrade. I'd want to just get the new phone.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 23, 2012)

Maybe...I guess it depends on the bundling of handsets.


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## Citizen66 (Oct 23, 2012)

I'd be paying the same as I do now to upgrade to 4g with the 500Mb limit. 500 Mb of fast data and a shiny new phone. Hardly seems worth it but as I'm paying that any way...


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## pesh (Oct 23, 2012)

might be worth seeing what they'd drop your line rental to if you didn't upgrade your phone and you're out of contract...


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## Citizen66 (Oct 23, 2012)

pesh said:
			
		

> might be worth seeing what they'd drop your line rental to if you didn't upgrade your phone and you're out of contract...



Well it might. Last time I did that I got sim only for £15 a month for same tariff. Problem being that this HTC Desire HD is a piece of crap with a battery that barely lasts half a day.


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## UnderAnOpenSky (Oct 23, 2012)

Citizen66 said:


> Well it might. Last time I did that I got sim only for £15 a month for same tariff. Problem being that this HTC Desire HD is a piece of crap with a battery that barely lasts half a day.


 
If you've had it two years then the battery won't be holding charge as well. Maybe you could try a new one? None of the latest smartphones seem that much better on the battery front.

I've also just flashed my Desire HD with cyanogenmod which seems to be helping a fair bit, but only did on Sunday, so will need to wait a bit for usage to average out to be sure.


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## Citizen66 (Oct 23, 2012)

Global Stoner said:
			
		

> If you've had it two years then the battery won't be holding charge as well. Maybe you could try a new one? None of the latest smartphones seem that much better on the battery front.
> 
> I've also just flashed my Desire HD with cyanogenmod which seems to be helping a fair bit, but only did on Sunday, so will need to wait a bit for usage to average out to be sure.



My colleague has just got the galaxy siii and he says he can get a day out of the battery and he hammers usage at work.


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